MAKING  HIS  WAY 


OR 


FRANK  COURTNEY'S  STRUGGLE  UPWARD 


BY 

HORATIO    ALGER  JR. 

AUTHOR  OF  "ONLY  AN  IRISH  BOY,"  "STRIVE  AND  SUCCEED/ 

"  DO  AND   DARE,"    "  FACING  THE   WORLD,"   "  IN   A  NEW 
WORLD,"   "BOB    BURTON." 


NEW  YORK 
HURST   &   COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


IOAN  STACK 


ALGER  SERIES  FOR  BOYS. 


UNIFORM  WITH  THIS  VOLUME. 
BY  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR. 


Adrift  in  New  York. 

A  Cousin's  Conspiracy. 

Andy  Gordon.- 

Andy  Grant's  Pluck. 

Bob  Burton. 

Bound  to  Rise. 

Brave  and  Bold. 

Cash  Boy. 

Chester  Rand 

Do  and  Dare. 

Driven  from  Home. 

Erie  Train  Boy. 

Facing  the  World. 

Five  Hundred  Dollars. 

Frank's  Campaign. 

Grit. 

Hector's  Inheritance. 

Helping  Himself. 

Herbert  Carter's  Legacy. 

In  a  New  World. 

Jack's  Ward. 

Jed,  the  Poor  House  Boy. 

Joe's  Luck. 

Julius,  the  Street  Boy. 

Luke  Walton. 


Making  His  Way. 
Mark  Mason. 
Only  an  Irish  Boy. 
Paul,  the  Peddler. 
Phil,  the  Fiddler. 
Ralph  Raymond's  Heir. 
Risen  from  the  Ranks. 
Sam's  Chance. 
Shifting  for  Himself. 
Sink  or  Swim. 
Slow  and  Sure. 
Store  Boy. 
Strive  and  Succeed. 
Strong  and  Steady. 
Struggling  Upward. 
Tin  Box. 

Tom,  the  Bootblack. 
Tony,  the  Tramp. 
Try  and  Trust. 
Wait  and  Hope. 
Walter  Sherwood's  Pro 
bation. 

Young  Acrobat. 
Young  Adventurer. 
Young  Outlaw. 
Young  Salesman. 


Price,   Post-Paid,   jjc.   each,   or  any   three 
books  for  $1.00. 

HURST  &  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS,  NEW  YORK. 


02/1 


MAKING  HIS  WAY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

TWO  SCHOOL  FRIENDS. 

Two  boys  were  walking  in  the  campus  of  the 
Bridgeville  Academy.  They  were  apparently 
of  about  the  same  age — somewhere  from  fifteen 
to  sixteen — but  there  was  a  considerable  dif 
ference  in  their  attire. 

Herbert  Grant  was  neatly  but  coarsely 
dressed,  and  his  shoes  were  of  cowhide,  but  his 
face  indicated  a  frank,  sincere  nature,  and  was 
expressive  of  intelligence. 

His  companion  was  dressed  in  a  suit  of  fine 
cloth,  his  linen  was  of  the  finest,  his  shoes  were 
of  calfskin,  and  he  had  the  indefinable  air  of 
a  boy  who  had  been  reared  in  luxury. 

He  had  not  the  broad,  open  face  of  his  friend 
—for  the  two  boys  were  close  friends — but  his 
features  were  finely  chiseled,  indicating  a  share 
of  pride,  and  a  bold,  self-reliant  nature. 

He,  too,  was  an  attractive  boy,  and  in  spite 
of  his  pride  possessed  a  warm,  affectionate 
heart  and  sterling  qualities,  likely  to  endear 
him  to  those  who  could  read  and  understand 
him. 

3 


*       297 


4  Making  His  Way. 

His  name  was  Frank  Courtney,  and  he  is  the 
hero  of  my  story. 

"  Have  you  written  your  Latin  exercises, 
Frank?  "  asked  Herbert 

"  Yes ;  I  finished  them  an  hour  ago." 

"  I  was  going  to  ask  you  to  write  them  with 
me.  It  is  pleasanter  to  study  in  company." 

"  Provided  you  have  the  right  sort  of  com 
pany,"  rejoined  Frank. 

"Am  I  the  right  sort  of  company?"  in 
quired  Herbert,  with  a  smile. 

"  You  hardly  need  to  ask  that,  Herbert.  Are 
we  not  always  together?  If  I  did  not  like  your 
company,  I  should  not  seek  it  so  persistently. 
I  don't  care  to  boast,  but  I  have  plenty  of  offers 
of  companionship  which  I  don't  care  to  accept 
There  is  Bob  Stickney,  for  instance,  who  is 
always  inviting  me  to  his  room ;  but  you  know 
what  he  is — a  lazy  fellow,  who  cares  more  to 
have  a  good  time  than  to  study.  Then  there  is 
James  Cameron,  a  conceited,  empty-headed  fel 
low,  who  is  very  disagreeable  to  me." 

"  You  don't  mention  your  stepbrother,  Mark 
Manning." 

."  For  two  reasons — he  doesn't  care  for  my 
company,  and  of  all  the  boys  I  dislike  him  the 
most." 

"  I  don't  like  him  myself.  But  why  do  you 
dislike  him  so  much?  " 

"  Because  he  is  a  sneak — a  crafty,  deceitful 
fellow,  always  scheming  for  his  own  interest. 
He  hates  me,  but  he  floesn't  dare  to  show  it. 


Making  His  Way.  5 

His  father  is  my  mother's  husband,  but  the 
property  is  hers,  and  will  be  mine.  He  thinks 
he  may  some  day  be  dependent  on  me,  and  he 
conceals  his  dislike  in  order  to  stand  the  better 
chance  by  and  by.  Heaven  grant  that  it  may 
be  long  before  my  dear  mother  is  called 
away ! " 

"  How  did  she  happen  to  marry  again, 
Frank?" 

"  I  can  hardly  tell.  It  was  a  great  grief  to 
me.  Mr.  Manning  was  a  penniless  lawyer,  who 
ingratiated  himself  with  my  mother,  and  perse 
cuted  her  till  she  consented  to  marry  him.  He 
is  very  soft-spoken,  and  very  plausible,  and  he 
managed  to  make  mother — who  has  been  an  in 
valid  for  years — think  that  it  would  be  the  best 
thing  for  her  to  delegate  her  cares  to  him.,  and 
provide  me  with  a  second  father." 

There  was  a  scornful  bitterness  in  Frank's 
tones  as  he  pronounced  these  last  words. 

"  Well,"  he  continued,  "  he  had  managed  to 
extract  a  promise  from  mother,  before  I  knew 
or  suspected  his  design.  It  was  three  years 
since,  and  I  was  not  quite  thirteen ;  but  I  can 
well  remember  how  badly  I  felt  when  mother 
told  me  of  the  engagement.  I  remonstrated 
strongly,  till  I  saw  that  she  was  becoming 
nervous  and  agitated,  and  only  desisted  be 
cause  I  did  not  want  to  pain  her.  I  tried  hard 
to  treat  Mr.  Manning  civilly,  but  I  have  no 
doubt  I  seemed  cold  and  sulky.  At  any  rate, 
the  marriage  took  place,  and  Mr.  Manning  and 


6  Making  His  Way. 

Mark  came  to  the  Cedars  to  live.  You  know 
that  is  the  name  of  our  place." 

"  Yes.  It  must  have  been  very  disagreeable 
to  you." 

"  I  can  hardly-  tell  you  how  much  so." 

"  How  has  your  stepfather  treated  you?  " 

"  I  am  bound  to  say,  Herbert,  that  I  have 
nothing  to  complain  of.  He  has  not  attempted 
to  control  or  tyrannize  over  me.  He  has  al 
ways  been  polite,  and  has  tried  to  be  fatherly. 
If  anything,  I  should  say  that  he  has  been  too 
deferential  and  too  soft-spoken.  I  have  not 
had  any  of  my  privileges  curtailed,  or  been  de 
prived  of  anything  to  which  I  was  accus 
tomed." 

"  I  am  surprised  at  that.  That  is  not  the 
general  reputation  of  stepfathers." 

"  That  is  true,  Herbert ;  but  I  am  convinced 
that  Mr.  Manning  is  not  acting  himself.  He 
has  an  object  in  disguising  his  real  nature. 
He  is  my  secret  enemy — I  am  sure  of  that — 
and  some  time  or  other  he  will  show  himself 
in  his  true  colors.  That  will  not  probably 
affect  me  while  my  dear  mother  lives.  The 
property  is  hers,  and  he  would  lose  his  hold 
upon  her  and  the  management  of  the  estate  if 
he  should  ill-treat  me.  I  heartily  hope  that 
mother  will  live  till  I  am  a  man.  I  shall  then 
feel  better  able  to  defeat  my  stepfather's 
schemes." 

"  Your  mother  is  likely  to  live,  is  she  not, 
Frank?" 


Making  His  Way.  7 

"  She  is  In  a  consumption,  Herbert,"  said 
Frank,  gravely.  "  It  is  in  her  family.  Still, 
there  may  be  no  immediate  danger.  Her  oldest 
sister,  my  Aunt  Maria,  lived  for  twenty  years 
after  her  lungs  had  become  affected,  and  this 
gives  me  hope  that  mother  may  linger  as 
long." 

"  Mr.  Manning  is  kind  to  her,  I  hope?  " 

Frank's  eyes  flashed. 

"  He  would  not  dare  be  anything  else ! "  he 
answered,  quickly.  "  This  is  all  that  recon 
ciles  me  to  the  marriage,"  he  went  on,  more 
calmly.  "  My  stepfather  is  certainly  attentive 
and  kind  to  iny  mother.  His  soft  manner 
seems  to  me  sometimes  rather  sickening  and 
unmanly.  Still,  mother's  nature  is  gentle,  and 
if  it  suits  her,  I  have  nothing  to  say." 

"  Your  stepbrother",  Mark  Manning,  enjoys 
the  same  advantages  as  yourself,  does  he  not?  " 
inquired  Herbert. 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  his  father's  marriage  proved  a  good 
thing  for  him." 

"  That  is  true.  When  he  first  came  to  the 
house  he  was  poorly  dressed,  and  had  evidently 
been  used  to  living  in  a  poor  way.  He  was  at 
once  provided  with  a  complete  outfit  as  good 
as  my  own,  and  from  that  time  as  much  has 
been  spent  on  him  as  on  me.  Don't  think  that 
I  am  mean  enough  to  grudge  him  any  part  of 
the  money  expended  upon  him.  If  he  were  like 


8  Making  His  Way. 

you,  I  could  like  him,  and  enjoy  his  society; 
but  he  is  just  such  another  as  his  father." 

"  That  reminds  me,  Frank,  to  ask  you  a 
question.  How  is  it  that  you,  who  are  rich, 
and  the  heir  of  a  large  fortune,  have  become 
the  friend  of  a  poor  boy  like  me?  I  am  the 
son_of  a  poor  carpenter,  who  has  hard  work  to 
provide  a  decent  living  for  his  family,  yet  you 
take  more  notice  of  me  than  of  any  other  boy 
in  the  academy." 

"  Take  notice  isn't  the  right  way  to  express 
yourself,  Herbert.  That  would  imply  inferi 
ority  on  your  part." 

"  Most  people  would  consider  me  inferior, 
Frank." 

"  Just  because  I  am  richer  than  you?  I  am 
not  so  foolish.  If  I  were  to  lose  all  my  money, 
wrould  you  like  me  any  less?" 

"  Not  a  bit,  Frank." 

"  Then  you  see  money  has  nothing  to  do  with 
it.  I  go  with  you,  Herbert,  because  I  like  you. 
You  don't  want  me  to  flatter  you,  and  so  I 
won't  explain  why  I  like  you.  I  should  like 
nothing  better  than  to  have  you  with  me  for 
the  next  few  years." 

"  That  can't  be,"  said  Herbert,  sighing. 
"  You  will  go  to  college,  but  there  is  no  chance 
of  that  for  me." 

"  I  have  been  thinking  of  that,  Herbert," 
said  Frank,  earnestly,  "  but  I  didn't  like  to  tell 
you  what  I  proposed  until  I  knew  whether  I 
could  carry  it  out.  I  am  going  to  ask  my 


Making  His  Way.  9 

mother  to  pay  your  expenses  through  college. 
You  could  room  with  me,  and  I  would  promise 
to  be  extra  economical,  if  necessary,  in  order 
to  make  the  additional  expense  less." 

Herbert  was  surprised  and  moved  by  this 
generous  proposal.  He  put  his  arm  affection 
ately  round  the  neck  of  his  friend,  and  said, 
impulsively : 

"  Dear  Frank,  how  kind  you  are !  But  it 
would  be  altogether  too  much  for  you  to  give  or 
me  to  accept." 

u  No,  it  wouldn't,  Herbert.  Do  you  think  I 
would  value  the  money  in  comparison  with  the 
pleasure  I  should  have  in  your  society,  and  the 
satisfaction  of  feeling  that  I  was  helping  you 
on  in  the  world?  When  you  became  a  great 
lawyer  or  statesman,  I  should  take  credit  to 
myself  for  having  given  you  the  chance  to  be 
come  distinguished." 

"  I  might  disappoint  you,  Frank.  You 
would  be  more  likely  to  become  distinguished 
than  I." 

"  There  would  be  no  rivalry  between  us,  but 
we  would  try  to  improve  our  advantages." 

"  It  may  never  come  to  pass,  Frank,  but  I 
will  not  forget  your  kind  intentions.  I  should 
like  nothing  better  than  to  go  to  college,  now 
that  I  am  so  nearly  prepared.  Some  people 
think  father  foolish  not  to  have  taken  me 
from  the  academy  sooner,  but  he  says  a  good 
education  will  always  help  me.  Even  without 
going  to  college,  I  know  enough  to  teach  a  com.- 


io  Making  His  Way. 


mon  school,  and  when  I  am  old  enough  I  shall 
probably  become  a  teacher. " 

"  Provided  I  cannot  arrange  better  for  you." 
Here  Herbert's  attention  was  drawn  to  a 
boy  who  was  approaching  with  a  yellow  en 
velope  in  his  hand. 

"  Frank/7  he  said,  suddenly,  "  there's  Mark 
Manning.  He  looks  as  if  he  had  something  to 
say  to  you.  He  has  either  a  letter  or  a  tele 
gram  in  his  hand." 

CHAPTER  II. 

THE  TELEGRAM. 

FRANK/'S  heart  gave  a  great  bound  at  the  sug 
gestion  of  a  telegram.  A  telegram  could  mean 
but  one  thing — that  his  mother  had  become 
suddenly  worse. 

He  hurried  to  meet  his  stepbrother. 

"  Is  that  a  telegram,  Mark?  "  he  asked,  anx 
iously. 

"  Yes." 

"  Is  it  anything  about  mother?  Tell  me 
quick ! " 

"  Read  it  for  yourself,  Frank." 

Frank  drew  the  telegram  from  the  envelope, 
and  read  it  hastily : 

"  My  wife  is  very  sick.  I  wish  you  and 
Frank  to  come  home  at  once." 

"  When  does  the  next  train  start,  Herbert?  " 
asked  Frank,  pale  with  apprehension. 

"  In  an  hour." 


Making  His  Way.  il 

"  I  shall  go  by  that  train." 

"  I  don't  think  I  can  get  ready  so  soon,"  said 
Mark,  deliberately. 

"  Then  you  can  come  by  yourself,"  replied 
Frank,  impetuously.  "  I  beg  your  pardon, 
Mark,"  he  added.  "  I  cannot  expect  you  to  feel 
as  I  do.  It  is  not  your  mother." 

"  It  is  my  stepmother,"  said  Mark. 

"  That  is  quite  different.  But  I  must  not 
linger  here.  I  will  go  at  once  to  Dr.  Brush, 
and  tell  him  of  my  summons  home.  Good-by, 
Herbert,  till  we  meet  again." 

"  I  will  go  with  you  to  the  depot,  Frank," 
said  his  friend,  sympathizingly.  "  Don't  wait 
for  me.  Go  ahead,  and  make  your  preparation 
for  the  journey.  I  will  be  at  your  room  in  a 
quarter  of  an  hour." 

"  You  won't  go  by  the  next  train,  Mark?  " 
said  Herbert. 

"  No.  I  don't  care  to  rush  about  as  Frank 
is  doing." 

"  You  would  if  it  were  your  own  mother  who 
was  so  ill." 

"  I  am  not  sure.  It  wouldn't  do  any  good, 
would  it?" 

"  You  would  naturally  feel  anxious,"  said 
Herbert. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  suppose  so ! "  answered  Mark, 
indifferently. 

Mark  Manning  was  slender  and  dark,  with 
a  soft  voice  and  rather  effeminate  ways.  He 
didn't  care  for  the  rough  sports  in  which  most 


12  Making  His  Way. 

boys  delight;  never  played  baseball  or  took 
part  in  athletic  exercises,  but  liked  to  walk 
about,  sprucely  dressed,  and  had  even  been 
seen  on  the  campus  on  a  Saturday  afternoon 
with  his  hands  incased  in  kid  gloves. 

For  this,  however,  he  was  so  ridiculed  and 
laughed  at  that  he  had  to  draw  them  off  and 
replace  them  in  his  pocket. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  he  was  not  a  favor 
ite  among  his  schoolfellows. 

At  a  large  school,  manliness  commands  re 
spect  and  favor,  and  an  effeminate  boy,  unless 
caused  by  ill-health,  is  ridiculed  or  despised. 

For  this,  however,  Mark  cared  little.  He,  as 
well  as  Frank,  was  liberally  supplied  with 
spending  money,  and  was  content  to  follow  his 
own  course,  whether  it  suited  his  schoolfellows 
or  not. 

The  Cedars,  the  handsome  residence  of 
Frank's  family ,~  was  situated  about  twenty 
miles  from  Bridgeville,  the  seat  of  the  classical 
academy  at  which  the  stepbrothers  were  being 
educated. 

It  was  the  custom  of  both  to  go  home  on 
Saturday  morning,  and  return  by  an  early 
train  on  Monday. 

It  was  now  the  middle  of  the  week,  and, 
therefore,  nearly  three  days  had  passed  since 
Frank  had  seen  his  mother.  Then,  though 
weak,  she  had  not  seemed  more  so  than  usual, 
and  he  had  come  away  from  home  feeling  no 
particular  anxiety. 


Making  His  Way.  13 

It  was  evident  that  his  mother's  disease  had 
taken  a  sudden  and  unfavorable  turn. 

As  Frank  and  Herbert  walked  together  to 
the  railway  station,  the  latter  said : 

"  It  seems  to  me,  Frank,  that  the  telegram 
should  have  been  sent  to  you,  rather  than  to 
Mark  Manning.  You  are  the  one  who  is  most 
interested  in  the  contents." 

"  I  thought  of  that,  Herbert,  but  I  was  too 
much  affected  by  the  contents  to  speak  of  it. 
I  am  not  surprised,  however.  It  is  like  Mr. 
Manning.  It  jarred  upon  me  to  have  him 
speak  of  mother  as  his  wife.  She  is  so,  but  I 
never  could  reconcile  myself  to  the  fact." 

"  Do  you  remember  your  father — your  own 
father,  Frank?" 

"  You  need  not  have  said  '  your  own  father.' 
I  don't  recognize  Mr.  Manning  as  a  father,  at 
all.  Yes,  I  remember  him.  I  was  eight  years 
old  when  he  died.  He  was  a  fine-looking  man, 
always  kind — a  man  to  be  loved  and  respected. 
There  was  not  a  particle  of  similarity  between 
him  and  Mr.  Manning.  He  was  strong  and 
manly." 

"  How  did  it  happen  that  he  died  so 
young?  " 

"  He  was  the  victim  of  a  railway  accident. 
He  had  gone  to  New  York  on  business,  and  was 
expected  back  on  a  certain  day.  The  train  on 
which  he  was  a  passenger  collided  with  a 
freight  train,  and  my  poor  father  was  among 
the  passengers  who  were  killed.  The  news 


14  Making  His  Way. 

was  almost  too  much  for  my  poor  mother,  al 
though  she  had  not  yet  become  an  invalid.  It 
brought  on  a  fit  of  sickness  lasting  for  three 
months.  She  has  never  been  altogether  well 
since." 

"  After  all,  Frank,  the  gifts  of  fortune,  or 
rather  Providence,  are  not  so  unequally  dis 
tributed  as  at  first  appears.  You  are  rich,  but 
fatherless.  I  am  poor  enough,  but  my  father 
and  mother  are  both  spared  to  me." 

"  I  would  gladly  accept  poverty  if  my  father 
could  be  restored  to  life,  and  my  mother  be 
spared  to  me  for  twenty  years  to  come." 

"  I  am  sure  you  would,  Frank,"  said  Her 
bert.  "  Money  is  valuable,  but  there  are  some 
things  far  more  so." 

They  had  reached  the  station  by  this  time, 
and  it  was  nearly  the  time  for  the  train  to 
start.  Frank  bought  his  ticket,  and  the  two 
friends  shook  hands  and  bade  each  other  good- 

by. 

In  an  hour  Frank  was  walking  up  the  long 
avenue  leading  to  the  front  door  of  the  man 
sion. 

The  door  was  opened  by  his  stepfather. 

"  How  is  mother?  "  asked  Frank,  anxiously. 

"  I  am  grieved  to  say  that  she  is  very  sick," 
said  Mr.  Manning,  in  a  soft  voice.  "  She  had 
a  copious  hemorrhage  this  morning,  which  has 
weakened  her  very  much." 

"  Is  she  in  danger?"  asked  Frank?  anx 
iously. 


Making  His  Way.  15 

"  I  fear  she  is,"  said  Mr.  Manning. 

"  I  suppose  I  can  see  her?  " 

"  Yes ;  but  it  will  be  better  not  to  make  her 
talk  much." 

"  I  will  be  careful,  sir." 

Frank  waited  no  longer,  but  hurried  to  his 
mother's  chamber.  As  he  entered,  and  his 
glance  fell  on  the  bed  and  its  occupant,  he  was 
shocked  by  the  pale  and  ghastly  appearance  of 
the  mother  whom  he  so  dearly  loved.  The 
thought  came  to  him  at  once : 

"  She  cannot  live." 

He  found  it  difficult  to  repress  a  rising  sob, 
but  he  did  so  for  his  mother's  sake.  He 
thought  that  it  might  affect  her  injuriously  if 
he  should  display  emotion. 

His  mother  smiled  faintly  as  he  approached 
the  bed. 

"  Mother,"  said  Frank,  kneeling  by  the  bed 
side,  "  are  you  very  weak?  " 

"Yes,  Frank,"  she  answered,  almost  in  a 
whisper.  "I  think  I  am  going  to  leave  you." 

"  Oh,  don't  say  that,  mother ! "  burst  forth 
in  anguish  from  Frank's  lips.  "  Try  to  live 
for  my  sake." 

"  I  should  like  to  live,  my  dear  boy,"  whis 
pered  his  mother;  "  but  if  it  is  God's  will  that 
I  should  die,  I  must  be  reconciled.  I  leave  you 
in  his  care." 

Here  Mr.  Manning  entered  the  room. 

"You  will  be  kind  to  my  boy?"  said  the 
dying  mother. 


l6  Making  His  Way. 

"  Can  you  doubt  it,  my  dear?  "  replied  her 
husband,  in  the  soft  tones  Frank  so  much  dis 
liked.  "  I  will  care  for  him  as  if  he  were  my 
own." 

"  Thank  you.    Then  I  shall  die  easy." 

"  Don't  speak  any  more,  mother.  It  will 
tire  you,  and  perhaps  bring  on  another  hemor 
rhage." 

"  Frank  is  right,  my  dear.  You  had  better 
not  exert  yourself  any  more  at  present." 

"Didn't  Mark  come  with  you?"  asked  Mr. 
Manning  of  Frank. 

"  No,  sir." 

"  I  am  surprised  that  he  should  not  have 
done  so.  I  sent  for  him  as  well  as  you." 

"  I  believe  he  is  coming  by  the  next  train," 
said  Frank,  indifferently.  "  He  thought  he 
could  not  get  ready  in  time  for  my  train." 

"  He  should  not  have  left  you  to  come  at 
such  a  time." 

"  I  didn't  wish  him  to  inconvenience  himself, 
Mr.  Manning.  It  it  had  been  his  mother,  it 
would  have  been  different. 

Mr.  Manning  did  not  reply.  He  understood 
very  well  that  there  was  no  love  lost  between 
Mark  and  his  stepson. 

CHAPTER  III. 

FRANK'S  BEREAVEMENT. 

EARLY  in  the  evening  Mark  made  his  ap 
pearance.  Supper  had  been  over  for  an  hour, 


Making  His  Way.  t? 

and  everything  was  cold.  In  a  house  where 
there  is  sickness,  the  regular  course  of  things 
is  necessarily  interrupted,  and,  because  he 
could  not  have  his  wants  attended  to  immedi 
ately,  Mark  saw  fit  to  grumble  and  scold  the 
servants.  He  was  not  a  favorite  with  them, 
and  they  did  not  choose  to  be  bullied. 

Deborah,  who  had  been  in  the  house  for  ten 
years,  and  so  assumed  the  independence  of  an 
old  servant,  sharply  reprimanded  the  spoiled 
boy. 

"  You  ought  to  be  ashamed,  Mr.  Mark,"  she 
said,  "  of  making  such  a  fuss  when  my  poor 
mistress  lies  upstairs  at  the  point  of  death." 

"Do  you  know  who  you  are  talking  to?" 
demanded  Mark,  imperiously,  for  he  could, 
when  speaking  with  those  whom  he  regarded  as 
inferiors,  exchange  his  soft  tones  for  a  voice 
of  authority. 

"  I  ought  to  know  by  this  time,"  answered 
Deborah,  contemptuously.  "  There  is  no  other 
in  the  house  like  you,  I  am  glad  to  say." 

"  You  are  very  impertinent.  You  forget 
that  you  are  nothing  but  a  servant." 

"  A  servant  has  the  right  to  be  decently 
treated,  Mr.  Mark." 

"  If  you  don't  look  out,"  said  Mark,  in  a 
blustering  tone,  "  I  will  report  you  to  my 
father,  and  have  you  kicked  out  of  the 
house." 

Deborah  was  naturally  incensed  at  this  rude 
speech,  but  she  was  spared  the  trouble  of  re- 


18  Making  His  Way. 

plying.  Frank  entered  the  room  at  this  mo 
ment  in  time  to  hear  Mark's  last  speech. 

"  What  is  this  about  being  kicked  out  of  the 
house?"  he  asked,  looking  from  Mark  to  Deb- 
borah,  in  a  tone  of  unconscious  authority, 
which  displeased  his  stepbrother. 

"  That  is  my  business,"  replied  Mark, 
shortly. 

"  Mr.  Mark  has  threatened  to  have  me 
kicked  out  of  the  house  because  he  has  to  wait 
for  his  supper,"  said  Deborah. 

"  It  wasn't  for  that.  It  was  because  you 
were  impertinent.  All  the  same,  I  think  it  is 
shameful  that  I  can't  get  anything  to  eat." 

"  I  regret,  Mark,"  said  Frank,  with  cool  sar 
casm,  "  that  you  should  be  inconvenienced 
about  your  meals.  Perhaps  you  will  excuse  it, 
as  my  poor  mother  is  so  sick  that  she  requires 
extra  attention  from  the  servants.  Deborah, 
if  possible,  don't  let  Mark  wait  much  longer. 
It  seems  to  be  very  important  that  he  should 
have  his  supper." 

"  He  shall  have  it,"  assured  Deborah,  rather 
enjoying  the  way  in  which  Mark  was  put 
down;  "  that  is,  if  he  don't  get  me  kicked  out 
of  the  house." 

"  You  had  better  not  make  any  such  threats 
in  future,  Mark,"  said  Frank,  significantly. 

"  Who's  to  hinder?  "  blustered  Mark. 

"  I  am,"  answered  Frank,  pointedly. 

"  You  are  nothing  but  a  boy  like  me,"  re 
torted  Mark. 


Making  His  Way.  19 

"  My  mother  is  mistress  here,  and  I  repre 
sent  her." 

"  Things  may  change  soon,"  muttered  Mark; 
but  Frank  had  left  the  room  and  did  not  hear 
him. 

Mark  did  not  trouble  himself  even  to  inquire 
for  his  stepmother,  but  Avent  out  to  the  stable 
and  lounged  about  until  bedtime.  He  seemed 
very  much  bored,  and  so  expressed  himself. 

"  It's  a  nuisance  having  sickness  in  the 
house,"  said  he,  to  the  coachman. 

"  Especially  if  you  happen  to  be  sick  your 
self,"  said  the  coachman,  dryly. 

"  It's  a  nuisance,  anyway.  A  fellow  can't 
do  anything,  and  the  house  is  turned  upside 
down." 

He  spoke  in  an  aggrieved  tone,  as  if  Mrs. 
Manning  were  very  inconsiderate  to  fall  sick 
and  occasion  annoyance  to  him. 

Mark  was  not  a  favorite  with  the  coachman, 
who  was  devoted  to  Frank.  Like  Deborah,  he 
had  been  in  the  family  before  Mr.  Manning 
gained  a  footing  there,  and  was  disposed  to 
regard  him  and  his  son  as  interlopers,  though 
he  treated  them  with  formal  respect. 

"  I  don't  think  you  will  be  troubled  long, 
Mr.  Mark,"  said  he,  gravely. 

"You  mean  that  my  stepmother  will  die?" 
inquired  Mark,  interested,  but  not  appearing 
very  much  grieved. 

"  My  poor  mistress  is  in  her  last  sickness, 
Mr.  Mark." 


2O  Making  His  Way. 

"  Oh,  well,  we  must  all  die  sometime !  "  said 
Mark,  lightly. 

"  He  hasn't  any  more  heart  than  a  grind 
stone,"  said  the  coachman  to  himself,  as  Mark 
went  back  to  the  house.  "  I  do  hope  Mrs.  Man 
ning  will  tie  up  the  property  so  that  this  boy 
and  his  father  can't  make  ducks  and  drakes  of 
it.  It'll  be  bad  times  for  us  when  we  lose  our 
good  mistress.  Old  Manning's  a  sneak,  and 
the  boy's  a  little  worse,  if  anything.  Frank's 
a  fine,  manly  boy,  and  worth  a  dozen  of  him." 

Frank  wished  to  sit  up  all  night  with  his 
mother,  but,  as  she  had  a  professional  nurse, 
it  was  thought  best  that  he  should  obtain  his 
regular  rest,  the  nurse  promising  to  call  the 
family  if  any  change  should  be  apparent  in 
her  patient's  condition. 

About  half-past  four  in  the  morning  there 
wras  a  summons. 

"  Mrs.  Manning  is  worse,"  said  the  nurse. 
"  I  don't  think  she  can  last  long." 

Mr.  Manning  and  Frank  hastened  into  the 
death  chamber.  Mark  protested  that  he  was 
too  tired  to  get  up,  and,  in  spite  of  his  father's 
remonstrance,  remained  in  bed.  Frank  was 
too  absorbed  in  his  own  sorrow  to  notice  or 
care  for  Mark's  absence. 

If  he  had  thought  about  it  at  all,  he  would 
have  considered  it  a  relief  that  his  stepbrother 
should  be  away.  His  mother  was  lying  in  a 
stupor,  but  recovered  for  a  few  minutes  before 
death. 


Making  His  Way.  21 

One  last  glance  of  love — though  she  could  no 
longer  speak — assured  Frank  that  she  knew 
him  and  loved  him  to  the  last. 

The  memory  of  that  look  often  came  back  to 
him  in  the  years  that  followed,  and  he  would 
not  have  parted  with  it  for  anything  that 
earth  could  give. 

Just  as  the  clock  struck  five,  his  mother 
breathed  her  last.  The  boy  gazed  upon  the  In 
animate  form,  but  he  was  dazed,  and  could  not 
realize  that  his  mother  had  left  him,  never  to 
return. 

"  She  is  gone,"  said  Mr.  Manning,  softly. 

"  Dead !  "  ejaculated  Frank. 

"  Yes,  her  sufferings  are  over.  Let  us  hope 
she  is  better  off.  My  boy,  I  think  you  had 
better  return  to  your  bed.  You  can  do  nothing 
for  your  mother  now." 

"  I  would  rather  stay  here,"  said  Frank, 
sadly.  "  I  can  at  least  look  at  her,  and  soon  I 
shall  lose  even  that  comfort." 

The  thought  was  too  much  for  the  poor  boy, 
and  he  burst  into  tears. 

"  Do  as  you  please,  Frank,"  assented  Mr. 
Manning.  "  I  feel  for  you,  and  I  share  in  your 
grief.  I  will  go  and  tell  Mark  of  our  sad  loss." 

He  made  his  way  to  Mark's  chamber  and  en 
tered.  He  touched  Mark,  who  was  in  a  doze, 
and  he  started  up. 

"What's  the  matter?"  he  asked,  crossly. 

"  Your  poor  mother  is  dead,  Mark." 

"  Well,  there  was  no  need  to  wake  me  up  for 


22  Making  His  Way. 

that,"  said  the  boy,  irritably.  "  I  can't  help  it, 
can  I?" 

"  I  think,  my  son,  you  might  speak  with 
more  feeling.  Death  is  a  solemn  thing." 

"  There's  nobody  here  but  me,"  said  Mark, 
sneering. 

"  I  don't  catch  your  meaning,"  said  his 
father,  showing  some  annoyance,  for  it  is  not 
pleasant  to  be  seen  through. 

"  Why  should  you  care  so  much?  "  continued 
Mark.  "  I  suppose  you  will  be  well  provided 
for.  Do  you  know  how  she  has  left  the  prop 
erty?  How  much  of  it  goes  to  Frank?" 

"  I  can't  say,"  said  Mr.  Manning.  "  I  never 
asked  my  wife." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say,  father,  that  you  don't 
know  how  the  property  is  left?"  asked  Mark, 
with  a  sharp  glance  at  his  father. 

"  I  may  have  my  conjectures,"  said  Mr.  Man 
ning,  softly.  "  I  don't  think  my  dear  wife 
would  leave  me  without  some  evidences  of  her 
affection.  Probably  the  bulk  of  the  estate 
goes  to  your  brother,  and  something  to  me. 
Doubtless  we  shall  continue  to  live  here,  as  I 
shall  naturally  be  your  brother's  guardian." 

"  Don't  call  him  my  brother,"  said  Mark. 

"Why  not?  True,  he  is  only  your  step 
brother;  but  you  have  lived  under  the  same 
roof,  and  been  to  school  together,  and  this 
ought  to  strengthen  the  tie  between  you." 

"  I  don't  like  Frank,"  said  Mark.  "  He  puts 
on  altogether  too  many  airs." 


Making  His  Way.  23 

"  I  had  not  observed  that,"  said  his  father. 

"  Well,  I  have.  Only  this  evening  he  saw  fit 
to  speak  impudently  to  me." 

"  Indeed !  I  am  really  amazed  to  hear  it," 
said  Mr.  Manning,  softly. 

"  Oh,  he  thinks  he  is  the  master  of  the  house, 
or  will  be,"  said  Mark,  "  and  he  presumes  on 
that." 

"  He  is  unwise,"  said  Mr.  Manning.  "  Even 
if  the  whole  property  descends  to  him,  which  I 
can  hardly  believe  possible,  I,  as  his  guardian, 
will  have  the  right  to  control  him." 

"  I  hope  you'll  do  it,  father.  At  any  rate, 
don't  let  him  boss  over  me,  for  I  won't  stand 
it." 

"  I  don't  think  he  will  boss  over  you,"  an 
swered  his  father,  in  a  slow,  measured  voice, 
betraying,  however,  neither  anger  nor  ex 
citement.  "  Of  course,  I  should  not  permit 
that." 

Mark  regarded  his  father  fixedly. 

"  I  guess  the  old  man  knows  what's  in  the 
will,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  He  knows  how  to 
feather  his  own  nest.  I  hope  he's  feathered 
mine,  too." 

Mr.  Manning  passed  from  his  son's  chamber 
and  went  softly  upstairs,  looking  thought 
ful. 

Any  one  who  could  read  the  impassive  face 
would  have  read  trouble  in  store  for  Frank. 


24  Making  His  Way. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

MRS.  MANNING'S  WILL. 

DURING  the  preparations  for  the  funeral 
Frank  was  left  pretty  much  to  himself. 

He  spent  most  of  his  time  in  the  chamber 
where  his  mother  lay  dead,  waiting  with  a 
painful  sense  of  bereavement  for  the  solemn 
moment  when  the  form  of  her  whom  he 
tenderly  loved  should  be  laid  away  in  the 
grave. 

He  regarded  the  future  with  apathy.  As  a 
matter  of  course,  his  stepfather  would  be  his 
guardian,  but  he  didn't  apprehend  any  trouble 
some  interference  with  his  liberty. 

Mr.  Manning's  manner  was  so  soft,  and  to 
him  had  been  so  deferential,  that  he  did  not 
understand  the  man.  It  didn't  occur  to  him 
that  it  was  assumed  for  a  purpose. 

That  manner  was  not  yet  laid  aside.  His 
stepfather  offered  to  comfort  him,  but  Frank 
listened  in  silence.  Nothing  that  Mr.  Manning 
could  say  had  the  power  to  lighten  his  load  of 
grief.  So  far  as  words  could  console  him,  the 
sympathy  of  Deborah  and  the  coachman,  both 
old  servants,  whom  his  mother  trusted,  had 
more  effect,  for  he  knew  that  it  was  sincere, 
and  that  they  were  really  attached  to  his 
mother. 

Of  Mr.  Manning  he  felt  a  profound  distrust, 
which  no  words  of  his  could  remove. 


Making  His  Way.  25 

As  to  Mark,  he  was  not  old  enough  to  put 
on  the  mask,  and  went  about  the  house  study 
ing  his  own  comfort,  and  looking  out  for  his 
own  selfish  interests. 

"  I  shall  be  glad  when  the  funeral  is  over," 
he  said,  impatiently.  "  The  whole  house  seems 
to  be  upset.  I  can't  get  a  decent  meal." 

Deborah,  to  whom  this  was  addressed,  re 
sponded,  indignantly : 

"  You  haven't  any  more  feeling  than  a  stone, 
Mr.  Mark,  so  you  haven't,  or  you  wouldn't  talk 
so  while  that  dear  lady,  who  has  always  been 
so  kind  to  you,  lies  dead  upstairs." 

"  I  can't  help  it,  can  I  ?  "  said  the  boy,  sul 
lenly. 

"  No ;  but  you  can  behave  decently  for  the 
short  time  we  shall  have  her  with  us." 

"  I  ain't  going  to  be  lectured  by  a  servant," 
said  Mark,  insolently. 

"  Servants  have  some  rights,"  said  Deborah, 
independently.  "  Why  can't  you  imitate  Mas 
ter  Frank?  He  isn't  half  so  hard  to  please  as 
you,  though  he  is  the  owner  of  the  property." 

"Is  he,  though?"  demanded  Mark,  with  a 
sneer. 

"  To  be  sure  he  is !  " 

"  He  won't  be  the  master  of  the  house, 
though — I  can  tell  you  that !  " 

"  Who  will  be?" 

"  My  father." 

"Who  told  you  that?"  asked  Deborah, 
keenly. 


26  Making  His  Way. 

"  There  is  no  need  of  anybody  telling  me  it. 
Of  course  my  father  will  be  Frank's  guardian, 
and  he'll  make  him  stand  round,  you  may  de 
pend  on  that." 

Deborah  looked  significantly  at  the  coach 
man,  suspecting  that  Mark  had  had  some  hint 
from  his  father. 

"  We  can  tell  better  after  the  will  is  read," 
she  said,  coldly. 

As  Mark  left  the  room,  she  said  to  the  coach 
man  : 

"  I  am  afraid  trouble  is  in  store  for  Mr. 
Frank.  I  can't  help  thinking  Mr.  Manning 
is  up  to  some  trick." 

"  Shouldn't  wonder  at  all,"  said  Richard 
Green.  "  It  would  be  just  like  him.  But 
Master  Frank  isn't  the  one  to  be  cheated  with 
out  making  a  fuss  about  it." 

"  Little  he  thinks  about  the  property  now, 
poor  boy,"  said  Deborah.  "  That  boy's  heart 
was  wrapped  up  in  his  mother,  and  she  was 
always  thinking  of  him.  Why  should  she  be 
taken,  and  such  a  poor  creature  as  her  husband 
be  left?" 

"  Tt  isn't  always  the  good  that  live  longest," 
said  Richard,  sententiously.  "  To  my  mind,  it 
seems  to  be  pretty  much  the  other  way.  I  ex 
pect  Mark  will  give  us  a  good  deal  of 
trouble." 

"  Like  father,  like  son,"  said  Deborah. 

"The  boy's  a  good  deal  worse  than  his 
father.  Mr.  Manning  likes  to  have  things  his 


Making  His  Way.  27 

own  way,  but  he's  soft-spoken,  while  Mark  is 
rough  and  impudent." 

"  I  hope  he  will  go  off  to  schoool,  and  stay 
there.  We  can  do  better  without  him  than 
with  him,"  said  Deborah. 

Meanwhile,  Mr.  Manning  was  looking  from 
an  upper  window  down  the  fine  avenue,  and  his 
eye  ranged  from  left  to  right  over  the  ample 
estate  with  a  glance  of  self-complacent  tri 
umph. 

"  All  mine  at  last ! "  he  said  to  himself,  ex 
ultantly.  "  What  I  have  been  working  for  has 
come  to  pass.  Three  years  ago  I  was  well-nigh 
penniless,  and  now  I  am  a  rich  man.  I  shall 
leave  Mark  the  master  of  a  great  fortune.  I 
have  played  my  cards  well.  No  one  will  sus 
pect  anything  wrong.  My  wife  and  I  have 
lived  in  harmony.  There  wrill  be  little  wonder 
that  she  has  left  all  to  me.  There  would  be, 
perhaps,  but  for  the  manner  in  which  I  have 
taken  care  he  shall  be  mentioned  in  the  will — I 
mean,  of  course,  in  the  will  I  have  made  for 
her." 

He  paused,  and,  touching  a  spring  in  the 
wall,  a  small  door  flew  open,  revealing  a  shal 
low  recess. 

In  this  recess  was  a  folded  paper,  tied  with 
a  red  ribbon. 

Mr.  Manning  opened  it,  and  his  eyes  glanced 
rapidly  down  the  page. 

"  This  is  the  true  will,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  I  wish  I  could  summon  courage  to  burn  it. 


28  Making  His  Way. 

It  would  be  best  out  of  the  way.  That,  if  found 
out,  would  make  me  amenable  to  the  law,  and 
I  must  run  no  risk.  In  this  secret  recess  it- 
will  never  be  found.  I  will  replace  it,  and  the 
document  which  I  have  had  prepared  will  take 
its  place,  and  no  one  will  be  the  wiser." 

On  the  day  after  the  funeral,  the  family  so 
licitor  and  a  few  intimate  friends,  who  had 
been  invited  by  Mr.  Manning,  assembled  in  the 
dra wing  f room  of  the  mansion  to  hear  the  will 
read. 

Mr.  Manning  himself  notified  Frank  of  the 
gathering  and  its  object. 

He  found  our  hero  lying  on  the  bed  in  his 
chamber,  sad  and  depressed. 

"  I  don't  like  to  intrude  upon  your  grief, 
my  dear  boy,"  said  his  stepfather,  softly,  "  but 
it  is  necessary.  The  last  will  of  your  dear 
mother  and  my  beloved  wife  is  about  to  be 
read,  and  your  presence  is  necessary." 

"  Couldn't  it  be  put  off?"  asked  Frank, 
sadly.  "  It  seems  too  soon  to  think  of  such 
things." 

"  Pardon  me,  my  dear  Frank,  but  it  is  quite 
needful  that  there  should  be  an  immediate 
knowledge  of  the  contents  of  the  will,  in  order 
that  the  right  person  may  look  after  the  busi 
ness  interests  of  the  estate.  .  I  assure  you  that 
it  is  the  invariable  custom  to  read  the  will 
immediately  after  the  funeral." 

"  If  that  is  the  custom,  and  it  is  necessary, 


Making  His  Way.  29 

I  have  nothing  to  say.  When  is  the  will  to  be 
read?" 

"  At  three  o'clock,  and  it  is  now  two." 

"  Very  well,  sir ;  I  will  come  down  in  time." 

"  Of  course  there  can't  be  much  doubt  as  to 
the  contents  of  the  will,"  pursued  Mr.  Man 
ning.  "  You  are  doubtless  the  heir,  and  as  you 
are  a  minor,  I  am  probably  your  guardian. 
Should  such.be  the  case,  I  hope  that  the  rela 
tions  between  us  may  be  altogether  friendly." 

"  I  hope  so,"  said  Frank,  gravely. 

At  three  o'clock  the  members  of  the  family, 
with  a  few  outside  friends,  gathered  in  the 
drawing  room.  The  family  solicitor,  Mr.  Fer 
ret,  held  in  his  hand  what  purported  to  be  the 
last  will  of  Mrs.  Manning. 

The  widowed  husband  had  directed  the  law 
yer  to  the  bureau  of  the  deceased  lady  as  likely 
to  contain  her  will.  It  was  found  without 
trouble  in  the  topmost  drawer. 

Deborah  and  the  coachman  had  speculated 
as  to  whether  they  would  be  invited  to  attend 
at  the  reading  of  the  will. 

Their  doubts  were  set  at  rest  by  an  invita 
tion  from  Mr.  Manning  himself. 

"  You  were  so  long  in  the  service  of  my  dear 
wife,"  he  said,  "  that  it  is  fitting  that  you 
should  be  present  at  the  reading  of  her  will, 
in  which  it  is  quite  probable  that  you  may  be 
personally  interested." 

"  He  is  uncommonly  polite,  I  am  sure," 
thought  Deborah,  disposed  for  the  moment  to 


30  Making  His  Way. 

think  more  favorably  of  the  man  whom  she  had 
never  been  able  to  like. 

"  My  friends,"  said  the  lawyer,  after  a  pre 
liminary  cough,  "  you  are  assembled  to  listen 
to  the  will  of  Mrs.  Manning,  just  deceased 
The  document  which  I  hold  in  my  hand  I  be 
lieve  to  be  such  an  instrument.  I  will  now 
open  it  for  the  first  time." 

He  untied  the  ribbon,  and  began  reading  the 
will. 

It  commenced  with  the  usual  formula,  and 
proceeded  to  a  few  bequests  of  trifling 
amount. 

Deborah  and  Richard  Green  were  each  left 
two  hundred  dollars,"  as  a  slight  acknowledg 
ment  of  their  faithful  service." 

One  or  two  friends  of  the  family  were  re 
membered,  but  to  an  inconsiderable  extent. 
Then  came  the  important  clause: 

"  All  the  rest  and  residue  of  the  property  of 
which  I  may  die  possessed  I  leave  to  my  be 
loved  husband,  James  Manning,  whose  devoted 
affection  has  made  happy  the  last  years  of  my 
life.  Having  implicit  confidence  in  his  good 
judgment  and  kindness  of  heart,  I  request  him 
to  make  proper  provision  for  my  dear  son 
Frank,  whose  happiness  I  earnestly  desire.  I 
hope  that  he  will  consent  to  be  guided  by  the 
wisdom  and  experience  of  his  stepfather,  who, 
I  am  sure,  will  study  his  interests  and  counsel 
him  wisely.  In  my  sorrow  at  parting  with 
my  dear  son,  it  is  an  unspeakable  comfort  to 


Making  His  Way.  31 

me  to  feel  that  he  will  have  such  a  guardian 
and  protector." 

Frank  listened  with  amazement,  which  was 
shared  by  all  present. 

Practically,  he  was  disinherited,  and  left 
wholly  dependent  upon  his  stepfather. 

CHAPTER  V. 

DISINHERITED. 

THE  contents  of  the  will  created  general  as 
tonishment.  There  was  not  one  in  the  room 
who  didn't  know  the  devotion  of  Mrs.  Man 
ning  to  her  son  Frank,  yet,  wrhile  speaking  of 
him  affectionately,  she  had  treated  him,  as 
they  considered,  most  cruelly.  Why  should 
she  have  left  such  a  dangerous  power  in  her 
husband's  hands? 

And  how  was  Mr.  Manning  affected? 

He  summoned  to  his  face  an  expression  of 
bewilderment  and  surprise,  and,  feeling  that 
all  eyes  were  fixed  upon  him,  he  turned  toward 
the  lawyer. 

"  Mr.  Ferret,"  he  said,  "  I  need  hardly  say 
that  this  will  surprises  me  very  much,  as  I  see 
that  it  does  the  friends  who  are  present.  Are 
you  sure  that  there  is  no  codicil?" 

"  I  have  been  unable  to  discover  any,  Mr. 
Manning,"  said  the  lawyer,  gravely,  as  he 
scanned  the  face  of  the  widower  keenly. 

Mr.  Manning  applied  his  handkerchief  to 
his  eyes,  and  seemed  overcome  by  emotion. 


32  Making  His  Way. 

"  I  knew  my  dear  wife's  confidence  in  me," 
lie  said,  in  a  tremulous  voice,  "  but  I  was  not 
prepared  for  such  a  striking  manifestation  of 
it." 

"  Nor  I,"  said  Mr.  Ferret,  dryly. 

"  Knowing  her  strong  attachment  to  Frank," 
pursued  Mr.  Manning,  "  I  feel  the  full  extent 
and  significance  of  that  confidence  when  she 
leaves  him  so  unreservedly  to  my  care  and 
guidance.  I  hope  that  I  may  be  found  worthy 
of  the  trust." 

"  I  hope  so,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Ferret,  who,  sharp 
lawyer  as  he  was,  doubted  whether  all  was 
right,  and  was  willing  that  Mr.  Manning 
should  be  made  aware  of  his  feeling.  "  It  is 
cetainly  a  very  remarkable  proviso,  consider 
ing  the  affection  which  your  wife  entertained 
for  her  son." 

"  Precisely,  Mr.  Ferret.  It  shows  how 
much  confidence  the  dear  departed  felt  in 
me." 

"  So  far  as  I  can  see,  the  boy  is  left  wholly 
dependent  upon  you." 

"  He  shall  not  regret  it!  "  said  Mr.  Manning, 
fervently.  "  I  consecrate  my  life  to  this 
sacred  trust." 

"  You  acquiesce  in  the  arrangement,  then, 
Mr.  Manning?  " 

"  I  cannot  do  otherwise,  can  I?" 

"  There  is  nothing  to  prevent  you  settling 
the  property,  or  any  part  of  it,  on  the  natural 
heir,  Mr.  Manning.  You  must  pardon  me  for 


Making  His  Way.  33 

laying  that  it  would  have  been  wiser  had  your 
wife  so  stipulated  by  will." 

"  I  cannot  consent  to  reverse,  or  in  any  way 
annul,  the  last  wishes  of  my  dear  wife,"  said 
Mr.  Manning,  hastily.  "  It  was  her  arrange 
ment  solely,  and  I  hold  it  sacred.  She  has 
put  upon  me  a  serious  responsibility,  from 
which  I  shrink,  indeed,  but  which  I  cannot  de 
cline.  I  will  do  all  in  my  power  to  carry  out 
the  wishes  of  my  late  wife." 

Mr.  Ferret  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  am  not  surprised  at  your  decision,  sir," 
he  said,  coldly.  "  Few  men  would  resist  the 
temptation.  My  duty  is  discharged  with  the 
reading  of  the  will,  and  I  will  bid  you  good- 
afternoon  ! " 

"  My  dear  sir,"  said  Mr.  Manning,  fer 
vently,  "  permit  me  to  thank  you  for  the  service 
you  have  rendered !  Permit  me  also  to  express 
my  high  appreciation  of  your  professional 
character  and  attainments,  and  to  say  that  I 
hope  you  will  alloAv  me  to  call  them  into  req 
uisition  should  I  hereafter  have  need  to  do 
so!" 

Mr.  Ferret  acknowledged  this  compliment 
coldly  enough. 

He  merely  bowed. 

With  a  general  bow  to  the  company,  in 
which  sauvity  and  deference  were  com 
bined,  Mr.  Manning  left  the  room,  followed  by 
Mark. 

He  was  a  crafty  ma,n.     He  knew  that  the 


34  Making  His  Way. 

strange  will  would  be  discussed  and  lie  thought 
it  best  that  the  discussion  should  come  at  once, 
that  it  might  be  the  sooner  finished. 

Deborah,  faithful  old  servant,  was  in  a  blaze 
of  indignation. 

She  went  up  quickly  to  Frank,  and  said: 

"  It's  a  shame,  Mr.  Frank,  so  it  is !  " 

"  If  my  mother  made  that  will,  it  is  all 
right,"  said  Frank,  gravely. 

"  But  she  didn't,  Mr.  Frank !  I  know  she 
would  never  do  such  a  thing.  She  loved  you 
as  the  apple  of  her  eye,  and  she  would  not 
cheat  you  out  of  your  rightful  inheritance." 

"No  more  she  would,  Mr.  Frank,"  said  the 
coachman,  chiming  in. 

"  I  don't  know  what  to  think,"  said  Frank. 
"  It  has  surprised  me  very  much." 

"  Surprised  you ! "  exclaimed  Deborah. 
"  You  may  well  say  that.  You  might  have 
knocked  me  down  with  a  feather  when  I  heard 
the  property  left  away  from  you.  Depend 
upon  it,  that  man  knows  all  about  it." 

"You  mean  Mr.  Manning?" 

"  To  be  sure  I  mean  him !  Oh,  he's  man 
aged  artfully!  I  say  that  for  him.  He's  got 
it  all  into  his  own  hands,  and  you  haven't  a 
cent." 

"  If  it  was  my  mother's  will  I  wouldn't  com 
plain  of  that,  Deborah.  It  was  hers  to  do  with 
as  she  liked,  and  I  know,  at  any  rate,  that  she 
loved  me." 

"  There's    one    thing    surprises    me,"    said 


Making  His  Way.  35 

Richard  Green.  "  If  so  be  as  the  will  isn't 
genuine,  how  does  it  happen  that  you  and  I 
come  in  for  a  legacy,  Deborah?" 

"  It's  meant  for  a  blind,"  answered  Deborah. 
"  Oh,  he's  the  artfulest  man !  " 

"  You  may  be  right,  Deborah.  I  must  say 
the  will  sounded  all  right." 

"  Maybe  it  was  copied  from  the  mistress' 
will." 

This  conversation  took  place  in  one  corner 
of  the  room. 

It  ceased  as  Mr.  Ferret  advanced  toward 
the  disinherited  boy. 

"  Frank,"  said  he,  in  a  tone  of  sympathy, 
"  I  am  very  sorry  for  the  provisions  of  the 
will." 

"So  am  I,  sir,"  answered  our  hero.  "It 
isn't  pleasant  to  be  dependent  on  Mr.  Man 
ning." 

"  Particularly  when  the  whole  estate  should 
be  yours." 

"  I  wouldn't  have  minded  if  half  had  been 
left  to  him,  provided  I  had  been  left  independ 
ent  of  him." 

"  I  appreciate  your  feelings,  Frank.  I  knew 
your  father,  and  I  am  proud  to  say  that  he  was 
my  friend.  I  knew  your  mother  well,  and  I 
esteemed  her  highly.  I  hope  you  will  let  me 
regard  myself  as  your  friend  also." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Ferret !  "  said  Frank.  "  I 
am  likely  to  need  a  friend.  I  shall  remember 


36  Making  His  Way. 

your  kind  proposal.  I  want  to  ask  you  one 
question." 

"  Ask,  and  I  shall  answer." 

"  Did  my  mother  consult  with  you  about 
making  this  will?  " 

"  No,  Frank." 

"  Did  she  ever  say  anything  that  would  lead 
you  to  think  she  would  leave  the  property  as 
it  is  left  in  this  will?" 

"  Not  a  word." 

"  Was  there  another  will?  " 

"  Yes.  I  wrote  her  will  at  her  direction 
more  than  a  year  ago.  This  will  is  dated  only 
three  months  since,  and,  of  course,  takes 
precedence  of  it,  even  if  the  other  is  in  exist 
ence." 

"  Can  you  tell  me  what  were  the  provisions 
of  the  other  will?" 

"  A  legacy  of  ten  thousand  dollars  was  left 
to  Mr.  Manning,  and  the  rest  of  the  estate 
to  you,  except  the  small  legacies,  which  were 
all  larger  than  in  the  will  I  have  read.  For 
instance,  Deborah  and  Richard  Green  were 
each  put  down  for  five  hundred  dollars." 

"  So  they  suffer  as  well  as  I?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Have  you  any  idea,  Mr.  Ferret,  of  the 
value  of  the  estate  which  falls  into  Mr.  Man 
ning's  hands? " 

"  I  have  some  idea,  because  I  have  talked 
with  your  mother  on  the  subject.  This  estate 
is  worth  fifty  thousand  dollars  at  least,  and 


Making  His  Way.  37 

there  are  fully  fifty  thousand  dollars  in  money 
and  bonds.  The  legacies  do  not  altogether 
exceed  one  thousand  dollars,  and  therefore  it 
may  be  said  that  your  stepfather  has  fallen 
heir  to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars." 

"  I  suppose  there  is  nothing  I  can  do,  Mr. 
Ferret  ?" 

"  Not  unless  you  can  show  that  this  will 
which  I  have  read  is  not  a  genuine  document. 
That  would  be  difficult." 

"  Did  you  notice  my  mother's  signature?  " 

"  Yes.  I  am  not  an  expert,  but  I  cannot 
detect  any  difference  greater  than  maybe 
existed  between  two  signatures  of  the  same 
person." 

"  Then  I  suppose  there  is  nothing  to  be  done 
at  present.  I  expect  to  have  a  hard  time  with 
Mr.  Manning,  Mr.  Ferret." 

"  How  has  he  treated  you  in  the  past, 
Frank?"  asked  the  lawyer. 

"I  have  had  nothing  to  complain  of;  but 
then  he  was  not  master  of  the  estate.  Now  it 
is  different,  and  I  think  his  treatment  of  me 
will  be  different." 

"  You  may  be  right.  You  remember  what 
I  said,  Frank?" 

"  That  I  should  regard  you  as  a  friend?  I 
won't  forget  it,  Mr.  Ferret." 

One  by  one  the  company  left  the  house,  and 
Frank  was  alone. 

Left  alone  and  unsustained  by  sympathy, 


38  Making  His  Way. 

he  felt  more  bitterly  than  before  the  totally 
unexpected  change  in  his  circumstances. 

Up  to  the  last  hour  he  had  regarded  himself 
as  the  heir  of  the  estate.  Now  he  was  only 
a  dependent  of  a  man  whom  he  heartily  dis 
liked. 

Could  it  be  that  this  misfortune  had  come  to 
him  through  the  agency  of  his  mother? 

"  I  will  not  believe  it! "  he  exclaimed,  ener 
getically. 

He  felt  that  he  would  be  the  better  for  a 
breath  of  fresh  air.  He  sauntered  slowly  down 
the  avenue,  when  a  sight  greeted  him  which 
kindled  his  indignation. 

His  stepbrother,  Mark  Manning,  was  riding, 
a  little  distance  in  advance,  upon  his  horse — a 
horse  which,  two  years  before,  his  mother  had 
given  him. 

His  eyes  flashed,  and  he  hurried  forward  to 
overtake  him. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

AJAX. 

A  FEW  words  by  way  of  explanation  will  be 
in  place. 

Among  those  who  heard  the  will  read  was 
Mark  Manning.  Though  he  felt  little  inter 
est  in  his  stepmother,  he  was  very  much  inter 
ested  in  learning  the  disposition  of  her  prop 
erty. 

Had  it  fallen  to  Frank,  he  would  have  been 


Making  His  Way.  39 

very  much  annoyed,  as  this  would  have  made 
a  great  gulf  between  them.  As  the  heir  of  a 
large  property,  Frank  would  be  of  infinitely 
more  consequence  than  a  penniless  boy  like 
himself,  or  be  likely  to  think  himself  so,  and 
this  the  jealous  spirit  of  Mark  Manning  could 
ill  brook. 

His  gratified  amazement  may  be  conjectured 
when  he  heard  the  will  read,  and  found  that 
Frank  himself  was  the  penniless  boy,  while  he 
was  the  son  and  heir  of  the  possessor  of  the 
estate. 

A  boy  with  a  conscience  might  have  felt 
some  compunction  at  the  grievous  wrong  which 
his  stepbrother  had  suffered,  but  Mark  was  not 
the  kind  of  boy  to  be  troubled  by  such  consider 
ations.  He  felt  a  thrill  of  exultation  which  he 
did  not  even  attempt  to  conceal. 

Had  Frank  looked  at  his  stepbrother,  he 
would  have  seen  the  expression  of  triumph  in 
his  eyes,  but  our  hero  was  too  much  occupied 
with  his  own  sad  reflections  to  look  about  the 
room. 

"  The  old  man  has  feathered  his  nest  well," 
thought  Mark.  "  Oh,  lie's  sly  as  a  fox,  father 
is.  You  won't  catch  him  napping.  Master 
Frank  will  find  his  Avings  pretty  well  clipped. 
He  can't  fly  very  high  now.  He  will  have  to 
look  to  father  and  me  for  support.  I  never 
felt  so  happy  in  my  life." 

Had  Mr.  Manning  been  a  good,  conscien 
tious  man3  Mark  would  not  have  felt  half  so 


4o  Making  His  Way. 

proud  of  him  as  at  that  moment.  Young  as  he 
was,  the  boy  idolized  success,  however  attained, 
and  felt  that  it  was  well  to  get  rich,  however 
questionable  the  means. 

"  He  does  it  well,"  thought  Mark,  when  his 
father,  at  the  close  of  the  reading,  expressed 
his  surprise  at  the  disposition  of  the  property. 
"  Oh,  he's  a  sly  old  fox ! "  he  chuckled,  in 
wardly.  "  He's  a  great  man,  father  is." 

When  Mr.  Manning  left  the  room,  Mark  fol 
lowed  him. 

He  was  impatient  to  congratulate  him  upon 
his  success. 

Mr.  Manning  made  his  way  upstairs  to  the 
chamber  where  he  spent  much  of  his  time.  He 
was  about  to  close  the  door  when  Mark  came 
up. 

"Is  it  you,  Mark?"  he  asked,  softly. 

"  Yes,  father.     May  I  come  in?  " 

"  Certainly,  Mark.  I  have  been  very  much 
surprised  by  the  will,  Mark." 

"  There's  nobody  here  but  me,  father,"  said 
Mark,  with  a  meaning  smile. 

"  I  don't  understand  you,  my  son." 

"  I  mean  that  you  have  been  very  smart, 
father.  I  congratulate  you." 

"  I  am  certainly  glad  of  your  good  opinion, 
Mark,"  said  the  arch  dissembler,  who  was  not 
willing  to  lift  the  mask,  even  in  the  presence 
of  his  own  son ;  "  but  really  I  am  afraid  I  don't 
deserve  your  compliment,  if  you  mean  that  I 


Making  His  Way.  41 

knew  anything  about  the  disposition  of  the 
property." 

"  Have  it  as  you  please,  father.  I  suppose 
it  is  best  to  know  nothing  about  it.  How  did 
you  manage  it?  " 

"  Mark !  "  said  his  father,  sharply,  "  let  me 
warn  you  to  cease  speaking  in  this  manner. 
It  is  not  safe.  Let  it  be  supposed  that  I  exer 
cised  undue  influence  over  the  mind  of  your 
stepmother,  and  an  attempt  would  be  made  by 
Frank  to  upset  the  will.  If  his  lawyer  could 
make  a  jury  believe  that  the  charge  was  well 
founded,  the  attempt  would  be  successful,  and  I 
need  not  say  that  your  position,  as  well  as 
mine,  would  be  very  materially  altered. 

Mark  was  sensibly  impressed  by  this  view 
of  the  case.  The  prospect  of  having  the  prop 
erty  snatched  away,  however  remote,  alarmed 
him,  and  he  understood  that  he  must  be  pru 
dent. 

"  You  are  right,  father,"  he  said.  "  It's 
nothing  to  me  how  the  property  came  to  you, 
but  I'm  glad  you've  got  it.  How  much  are  you 
going  to  give  me?  " 

"  Ahem !  you  will  share  in  the  advantage  of 
it,"  said  his  father. 

"  Won't  you  give  me  ten  thousand  dollars 
down?  "  asked  Mark. 

"  If  I  did,  I  should  feel  obliged  to  do  the 
same  for  Frank." 

"  I  don't  see  why." 

"  We  don't  wish  to  make  talk,  and  as  it  is, 


42  Making  His  Way. 

a  great  deal  will  be  said  about  the  will.  Be 
patient,  my  son.  When  I  am  gone,  you  will 
be  well  provided  for." 

"  But  you  may  live  a  long  time,  and  I  should 
like  to  feel  safe,"  said  Mark. 

Mr.  Manning  was  not  thin-skinned  nor  sen 
sitive,  but  the  cold-blooded  selfishness  of  his 
son  did  stir  him  a  little. 

"  You  must  have  confidence  in  me,  Mark," 
he  said,  rather  coldly.  "  You  are  my  only  son. 
You  are  all  I  have  to  live  for.  You  need  not 
be  afraid  that  you  will  suffer  neglect." 

"  Are  we  going  back  to  school — Frank  and 
I?"  asked  Mark. 

"  I  don't  know ;  that  will  be  decided  in  due 
time.  Don't  you  want  to  go?  " 

"  Well,  I  don't  mind  finishing  the  term,  but 
now  you  have  a  fortune  it  is  not  necessary  that 
I  should  study  so  hard.  I  shall  have  enough 
to  live  upon." 

"  I  suppose  the  same  may  be  said  of  your 
stepbrother." 

"  He  isn't  your  son,  and  will  have  to  take 
what  you  choose  to  give  him.  Of  course  I  am 
your  son  and  heir." 

Mr.  Manning  coughed. 

"  You  seem  to  forget,  Mark,"  he  said,  "  that 
the  property  came  from  Frank's  mother." 

"  She  gave  it  to  you,  didn't  she?  " 

"  Yes,  but "  ' 

"  Then  it  is  yours  now.  It  makes  no  differ 
ence  whom  it  used  to  belong  to." 


Making  His  Way.  43 

Mr.  Manning  smiled. 

"  Mark  will  know  how  to  take  care  of  him 
self,"  he  thought.  "  He  is  very  shrewd." 

Just  then  Mark's  thoughts  were  turned  in 
a  different  direction. 

Looking  from  the  window,  he  saw  Frank's 
horse  grazing  near  the  stable. 

This  horse  had  been  given  to  our  hero  as  a 
birthday  gift  a  couple  of  years  previous.  He 
was  a  handsome  animal,  and  Frank  was  very 
proud  of  him.  He  had  become  an  excellent 
horseman,  and  when  at  home  was  often  seen 
galloping  over  the  country  roads. 

Mark  could  ride,  but  not  so  well.  He  had 
no  horse  of  his  own,  and  more  than  once  had 
envied  Frank  his  possession  of  his  spirited 
steed.  But  his  father  had  objected  to  buying 
him  one. 

"  You  must  remember,  Mark,"  he  said,  "  that 
I  have  very  little  money  of  my  own.  Mrs. 
Manning  is  abundantly  able  to  buy  a  horse  for 
Frank,  but  you  are  not  her  son.  You'll  have 
to  wait." 

With  this  arrangement  Mark  was,  as  may  be 
supposed,  far  from  satisfied.  He  had  no  re 
source,  however,  but  to  accept  his  father's 
advice. 

Now,  however,  as  his  glance  fell  upon  the 
horse,  he  felt  that  the  time  had  come  for  a 
change.  It  would  never  do  for  Frank  to  have 
a  horse,  while  he,  Mr.  Manning's  heir,  was 
without  one. 


44  Making  His  Way. 

"  Now  you  can  give  me  a  horse,  father,"  he 
said. 

"  There  are  horses  enough  in  the  stable, 
Mark.  It  costs  a  good  deal  of  money  to  keep 
so  many.  I  feel  more  like  selling  a  horse  than 
buying  another.  I  have  a  good  income,  but  no 
money  to  throw  away." 

"  Then  is  Frank  to  have  a  horse  and  I  none 
at  all?"  demanded  Mark. 

"  Frank  has  no  horse,"  said  Mr.  Manning, 
coolly. 

"  Isn't  Ajax  his  horse?  " 

"  He  calls  him  so,  but  he  has  no  legal  title 
to  him.  The  will,  in  leaving  the  property  to 
me,  makes  no  exception  in  the  case  of  the 
horse.  I  shall  have  to  feed  him,  and  he  is 
therefore  mine." 

"  Then'  give  him  to  me,  father,"  said  Mark, 
eagerly. 

"  I  can't  do  that.  There  would  be  the  same 
objection  to  your  owning  him." 

"  I  can  ride  him,  though,  can't  I?  " 

"  If  I  decide  to  keep  him.  One  horse  is 
enough  for  you  and  Frank." 

"  Frank  will  be  mad !  "  said  Mark,  in  a  tone 
of  satisfaction.  "  He  never  would  let  me  ride 
Ajax — that  is,  not  often." 

"  It  is  not  for  him  to  say  now,"  said  Mr. 
Manning. 

"  I  mean  to  have  my  share  of  riding,  now," 
said  Mark.  "  I  will  go  out  this  very  after 
noon  ! " 


Making  His  Way.  45 

"  Hadn't  you  better  wait  till  to-morrow, 
Mark?" 

"  No  time  like  the  present,  father.  I'll  have 
a  fine  gallop." 

Before  his  father  could  object,  he  was  out 
of  the  house  and  at  the  stable,  where  Richard 
Green  had  resumed  his  duties. 

"  Richard,"  said  Mark,  in  a  tone  of  author 
ity,  "  saddle  Ajax ;  I  am  going  to  ride." 

"  Does  Mr.  Frank  say  you  can  ride  him?" 
asked  the  coachman. 

"  It  is  no  business  of  Frank's,"  said  Mark, 
haughtily. 

"Isn't  it  his  horse?" 

"  No,  it  isn't.     It  belongs  to  my  father." 

"  It  was  given  to  Mr.  Frank  on  his  birth 
day." 

"  Nothing  was  said  about  it  in  the  will. 
Father  says  I  may  ride  it  whenever  I 
please." 

This  was  not  exactly  what  Mr.  Manning  had 
said,  but  Mark  was  not  a  stickler  for  the 
truth. 

"  Mr.  Frank  will  make  a  fuss,"  said  Richard. 

"  Let  him !  "  said  Mark.  "  He  can  settle 
matters  with  my  father.  I  want  him  saddled 
right  off." 

"  I  will  obey  orders,  Mr.  Mark,  but  I  don't 
think  it  is  right." 

"  That  doesn't  matter.  My  father  is  master 
here,  and  if  he  says  I  can  ride  Ajax,  I  will." 

"  There'll  be  trouble,   I  reckon,"   said  the 


46  Making  His  Way. 

coachman,  as  he  saw  Mark  ride  out  of  the 
yard. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MARK'S  DISCOMFITURE. 

FRANK'S  indignation  was  aroused  when  he 
saw  Mark  Manning  on  his  favorite  steed,  and 
he  hurried  forward  till  he  was  near  enough 
to  be  heard  by  his  stepbrother. 

"  What  are  you  doing  on  that  horse,  Mark 
Manning?  "  he  demanded,  sternly. 

Mark  had  always  been  a  little  afraid  of 
Frank,  who,  as  he  had  reason  to  know,  excelled 
him  in  physical  strength.  Now,  backed  by 
the  knowledge  that  Frank  was  less  favorably 
situated  than  himself  as  regards  property,  he 
felt  an  increase  of  courage,  and  disposed  to  be 
defiant. 

"  I  am  riding,"  he  answered,  shortly. 

"  And  what  business  have  you  to  be  riding 
my  horse  without  permission?"  demanded 
Frank,  with  flashing  eyes. 

"  He  is  not  your  horse,"  retorted  Mark. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that?  "  said  Frank, 
beginning  to  suspect  that  there  was  something 
underneath  which  he  did  not  understand. 

"  I  suppose  you  heard  the  will,  didn't  you?  " 

"Well?" 

"  Was  anything  said  in  the  will  about  Ajax 
going  to  you?" 

"Oh,  that's  it,  is  it?"  returned  Frank,  his 


Making  His  Way.  47 

lip  curling.  "  Did  you  take  out  my  horse  with 
your  father's  knowledge?" 

"  What  has  that  to  do  with  it?  " 

"  Did  you  ask  him  if  you  might  use  it?  " 

"Suppose  I  did?" 

"  Does  he  say  Ajax  does  not  belong  to  me?  " 

"  Yes,  he  does.  I  hope  you  are  satisfied 
now." 

"  So,  not  content  with  robbing  me  of  the 
estate,  he  must  even  take  my  birthday  gift," 
said  Frank,  bitterly. 

"  You'd  better  not  say  that  he  robbed  you  of 
the  estate,"  said  Mark,  concluding  that  Frank 
was  inclined  to  yield. 

"  You'd  better  get  off  that  horse ! "  said 
Frank,  angrily. 

Mark  hesitated,  but  inclination,  and  the 
thought  that  his  father  would  back  him,  de 
cided  him  to  hold  out. 

"  Good-by ! "  said  he,  with  mock  politeness, 
raising  his  hat.  "  I'm  off !  " 

"  Ajax !  "  called  Frank,  quickly. 

Our  hero  had  perfect  control  over  his  horse. 
As  a  rider,  he  was  at  once  fearless  and  kind, 
and  the  steed  was  attached  to  him. 

No  sooner  did  he  hear  Frank's  voice  than  he 
turned  at  once,  and,  in  spite  of  Mark's  pulling 
at  the  rein,  advanced  to  Frank  and  rubbed  his 
nose  against  his  hand. 

"  Good  fellow ! "  said  Frank,  stroking  him. 

Mark  was  humiliated  by  his  inability  to  con 
trol  the  animal,  and  colored  with  anger  and 
yexation. 


48  Making  His,  Way. 

"  Let  go  that  horse,  Frank  Courtney ! "  he 
ordered. 

"  It  strikes  me  that  you  had  better  get  off," 
said  Frank,  coolly. 

"  You  will  repent  this!"  exclaimed  Mark, 
furiously. 

"  Let  me  advise  you  hereafter  not  to  inter 
fere  with  my  property,"  said  Frank. 

Mark  twitched  the  reins  angrily,  and,  raising 
his  whip,  lashed  the  horse.  It  was  an  unfor 
tunate  experiment. 

Ajax  disliked  Mark  as  much  as  he  liked  his 
master,  and,  on  feeling  the  lash,  reared  and 
plunged,  while  his  rider  turned  pale  and  clung 
to  his  seat  in  an  ecstasy  of  terror. 

The  truth  must  be  told  that  Mark  possessed 
very  little  physical  courage,  and  found  his  po 
sition  very  uncomfortable. 

"  Stop  making  the  horse  plunge ! "  he  ex 
claimed,  almost  breathless. 

Frank  smiled.  It  was  not  in  human  nature 
not  to  enjoy  the  discomfiture  of  his  rival. 

"  You  brought  it  on  yourself,"  he  said,  coolly 
"Why  did  you  strike  him?" 

By  this  time  Ajax  had  become  quiet,  and 
Mark  made  haste  to  slide  off  his  back. 

"I'll  tell  my  father  how  you  spoiled  my 
ride !  "  he  said,  angrily. 

"  Do  so,  if  you  like,"  said  Frank,  contemp 
tuously.  "  If  you  allude  to  the  conduct  of  the 
horse,  it  is  your  own  fault." 

"  He  was  acting  well  enough  till  you  came 
up ! "  said  Mark,  angrily. 


Making  His  Way.  49 

"  You'd  better  not  attempt  to  ride  him 
again.  Then  you  will  have  no  reason  to  com 
plain." 

"  If  I  don't  ride  him,  you  shan't! "  retorted 
Mark. 

"Who's  going  to  prevent  me?" 

"  My  father  will  prevent  you." 

Frank  had  not  intended  to  ride.  He  was  in 
no  mood  to  do  so  while  his  loss  was  so  recent, 
but  he  was  provoked  by  the  words  and  behav 
ior  of  Mark,  and  his  answer  was  to  leap  on  the 
back  of  Ajax  and  turn  his  head  down  the 
avenue,  before  his  stepbrother  had  divined  his 
intention. 

Mark  saw  the  tables  so  completely  turned 
upon  him  that  he  screamed: 

"  Come  back  here,  if  you  know- what  is  best 
for  yourself ! " 

"You  must  be  crazy!"  said  Frank,  and 
deigned  no  further  notice  of  his  stepbrother's 
auger. 

"  I'll  be  even  with  him  for  this — see  if  I 
don't ! "  muttered  Mark,  as  he  slowly  took  his 
way  back  to  the  house. 

On  the  way  he  met  Richard  Green,  the  coach 
man. 

The  latter  stopped  short,  and  asked  him,  in 
surprise : 

"  What  have  you  done  with  Ajax,  Mr. 
Mark?" 

"What  have  I  done  with  him?"  repeated 
Mark.  "  I'd  like  to  shoot  him." 

«  Why,  what's  the  matter?  " 


So  Making  His  Way. 

"  If  you  must  know,  Frank  set  him  to  rear 
ing  and  plunging  so  that  it  was  not  safe  to 
ride  him." 

"  And  you  got  off." 

"  Yes." 

"  Why  didn't  you  bring  him  back?  " 

"  Because  I  didn't  choose  to." 

"Did  Mr.  Frank  get  on  his  back?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Oh,  I  understand ! "  said  Richard,  with  a 
significant  smile,  that  angered  and  mortified 
Mark. 

"  Perhaps  you  don't  understand  as  much  as 
you  suppose ! "  he  retorted.  "  I  don't  think 
he'll  ride  the  horse  again  very  soon." 

"  I  thought  there'd  be  trouble,"  soliloquized 
the  coachman,  as  he  went  back  to  the  stable, 
"  and  that  Mr.  Frank  wouldn't  come  off  second 
best.  This  is  only  the  beginning.  That  boy 
Mark  means  to  kick  up  a  fuss,  and  I  mistrust 
he  and  his  father  together  will  make  the  house 
pretty  uncomfortable.  All  the  same,  I  am 
glad  Mr.  Frank  got  back  his  horseA 

Mark  could  not  wait  for  his  anger  to  cool. 
He  straightway  sought  his  father,  and  pro 
ceeded  to  prefer  complaints  against  Frank, 
taking  care  to  make  his  case  as  strong  as  pos 
sible  without  strict  adherence  to  the  truth. 

"  You  say  that  Frank  tried  to  make  the  horse 
throw  you?"  inquired  his  father. 

"  To  be  sure  he  did.  He  was  very  angry 
because  I  presumed  to  use  him," 


Making  His  Way.  51 

"  Did  you  tell  him  that  you  had  my  permis 
sion,  Mark?" 

"  Yes,  I  did ;  but  it  made  no  difference.  He 
hasn't  the  slightest  respect  for  you." 

Mr.  Manning's  voice  was  not  quite  so  soft 
as  usual  as  he  said : 

"  He  had  better  have  a  care.  I  do  not  pro 
pose  to  indulge  him  as  his  mother  did.  Of  one 
thing  he  may  rest  assured— that  I  intend  to  be 
master  in  this  house  and  on  this  estate." 

"  Good  for  you,  father !  I  thought  you 
wouldn't  knuckle  down  to  a  mere  boy  like 
him,"  said  Mark,  artfully  trying  to  fan  the 
flames  of  his  father's  resentment. 

Mr.  Manning  smiled,  but  the  smile  was  not  a 
pleasant  one. 

"  Probably  Frank  does  not  understand  me," 
he  said.  "  During  his  mother's  life  I  forbore 
to  assert  myself  or  my  authority  out  of  regard 
for  her  feelings.  I  saw  much  in  Frank's  con 
duct  and  manners  that  I  could  not  approve, 
but  I  put  a  restraint  upon  myself  for  the  sake 
of  my  dear  wife.  I  believe  I  made  her  happy, 
and  at  this  hour  I  feel  repaid  for  all  my  sacri 
fices." 

He  was  about  to  relapse  into  a  sentimental 
mood,  but  Mark  did  not  sympathize  with  it. 
He  chose  to  construe  his  father's  words  in  a 
way  not  intended. 

"  Yes,  father,  you  are  well  repaid.  You  are 
a  rich  man  now." 


52  Making  His  Way. 

"  That  was  not  exactly  what  I  intended 
to  convey,  Mark,"  said  his  father,  coughing. 

"  Well,  it  don't  matter.  You  can  do  as  you 
please  now,  and  I  hope  you'll  make  Frank  keep 
his  place." 

"  You  may  be  assured  that  I  will,"  said  his 
father,  compressing  his  thin  lips.  When 
Frank  comes  in,  will  you  send  him  to  me,  if 
you  see  him?  " 

"  I  will  make  it  my  business  to  see  him,"  said 
Mark,  in  a  tone  of  satisfaction.  "  Just  give 
it  to  him  red-hot,  father !  " 

"  Mark,  I  am  shocked  at  your  expression. 
It  is  not  refined." 

Mark  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  left  his 
father's  presence,  not  particularly  mortified 
by  the  rebuke.  In  fact,  hard  as  it  is  to  say  it, 
he  had  rather  a  contempt  for  his  father,  though 
he  believed  in  his  shaTpness  and  ability. 

But  Mark  saw  through  him.  He  under 
stood  very  well  that  his  parent  was  an  arch- 
dissembler  and  a  hypocrite,  and  for  such  a  man 
even  he  could  not  feel  respect. 

He  lay  in  wait  till  Frank  returned  from  his 
ride,  and  greeted  him  thus : 

"  My  father  wants  to  see  you  right  off." 

"  Where  is  your  father?  " 

"  In  his  room." 

"  I  will  go  up  to  him,"  answered  Frank, 
gravely,  "  I,  too,  wish  to  see  him  ! ?? 


Making  His  Way.  53 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

AN  UNSATISFACTORY  INTERVIEW. 

FRANK  entered  the  room  in  which  his  step 
father  sat.  His  air  was  manly  and  his  bearing 
that  of  a  boy  who  respects  himself,  but  there 
was  none  of  the  swagger  which  some  boys 
think  it  necessary  to  exhibit  when  they  wish 
to  assert  their  rights. 

Mr.  Manning,  in  a  flowered  dressing  gown, 
sat  at  a  table,  with  a  sheet  of  paper  before  him 
and  a  lead  pencil  in  his  hand.  Short  as  had 
been  the  interval  since  his  accession  to  the 
property,  he  was  figuring  up  the  probable  in 
come  he  would  derive  from  the  estate. 

He  looked  up  as  Prank  entered  the  room, 
and  surveyed  him  with  cold  and  sarcastic  eyes. 
His  soft  tones  wrere  dropped. 

"  Mr.  Manning,"  said  Frank,  "  I  wish  to 
ask  you  a  question." 

"  And  I  wish  to  ask  you  a  question,"  said 
his  stepfather.  "  Odd  coincidence,  isn't  it?  " 
he  added,  with  a  sneer. 

"  Very  well,  sir,"  said  Frank,  in  no  wise 
daunted  by  his  manner.  "  As  you  are  the 
older,  I  will  first  listen  to  what  you  have  to 
say." 

"  You  are  very  considerate,  I  am  sure,"  said 
Mr.  Manning,  with  an  unpleasant  smile. 
"  Let  me  ask  you,  in  a  word,  to  explain  your 
outrageous  treatment  of  Mark." 

"  What  does  he  say  I  have  done?  " 


54  Making  His  Way. 

"  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  answer  that  ques- 
t  -^,  since  you  know  very  well  what  you  have 
done." 

"  I  know  very  well  what  I  have  done,  but 
I  don't  know  what  he  may  choose  to  say  I 
have  done." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  charge  him  with  un 
truth?" 

"  Not  until  I  know  whether  he  has  made  a 
misstatement." 

"  He  says  you  caused  Ajax  to  rear  and 
plunge,  and  so  compelled  him  to  dismount." 

"  Did  he  mention  that  he  kicked  the  horse, 
and  that  this  was  the  cause  of  the  horse's  be 
havior?" 

"  No." 

"  Then  he  omitted  a  very  important  part  of 
the  truth." 

"  Did  you  do  nothing  to  incite  the  horse  to 
his  bad  behavior?  " 

"  No,  sir.  I  called  the  horse  by  name,  and 
he  responded." 

"  Humph !  I  begin  to  understand.  Would 
Mark  have  had  any  difficulty  with  the  horse 
had  you  not  been  present?  " 

"  Perhaps  not." 

"  So  I  thought,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Manning, 
triumphantly. 

"  Please  wait  till  I  have  finished,  sir,"  said 
Frank,  calmly.  "  In  that  case,  Mark  would 
probably  not  have  struck  the  horse.  That 
caused  him  to  rear," 


Making  His  Way.  55 

"  By  your  own  confession,  your  presence  oc 
casioned  all  the  difficulty,"  said  Mr.  Manning, 
perversely.  "  Did  you  not  order  him  to  get  off 
the  horse?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  After  he  had  told  you  that  he  had  taken  it 
from  the  stable  by  my  permission?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Then  you  defied  my  authority,"  said  Mr. 
Manning,  sternly.  "  What  excuse  have  you  for 
this?" 

"  You  seem  to  have  forgotten,  Mr.  Man 
ning,"  said  Prank,  calmly,  "  that  the  horse  was 
a  birthday  present  to  me." 

"  That  meant  only  that  you  were  to  have  tfre 
chief  use  of  it.  Was  the  horse  left  to  you  in 
the  will?" 

"  There  was  very  little  reference  to  me  in  the 
will,"  said  Frank,  bitterly. 

"  So  you  would  complain  of  your  poor 
mother,  would  you?"  said  his  stepfather,  in  a 
tone  of  virtuous  indignation. 

"  I  cannot  believe  that  my  mother  made  that 
will." 

Mr.  Manning  colored.  He  scented  danger. 
Should  Frank  drop  such  hints  elsewhere,  he 
might  make  trouble,  and  lead  to  a  legal  investi 
gation,  which  Mr.  Manning  had  every  reason 
to  dread. 

"  This  is  very  foolish,"  he  said,  more  mildly. 
"  No  doubt  you  are  disappointed,  but  probably 
your  mother  has  provided  wisely,  You  will 


56  Making  His  Way. 

want  for  nothing,  and  you  will  be  prepared  for 
the  responsibilities  of  manhood  under  my  aus 
pices." 

Mr.  Manning's  face  assumed  a  look  of  self- 
complacence  as  he  uttered  these  last  words. 

"  I  have  no  blame  to  cast  upon  my  dear 
mother/'  said  Frank.  "  If  she  made  that  will, 
she  acted  under  a  great  mistake." 

"What  mistake,  sir?" 

"  She  failed  to  understand  you." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  imply  that  I  shall  be  false 
to  my  trust?  " 

"  Not  at  present,  sir.  I  don't  wish  to  judge 
of  you  too  hastily.  Now,  may  I  ask  my  ques 
tion?" 

"  You  have  not  answered  mine.  But  let 
that  pass.  Ask  your  question." 

"  Is  Mark  to  share  with  me  the  use  of 
Ajax?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Though  he  is  my  horse?  " 

"  You  are  mistaken.    He  is  my  horse." 

"  Yours !  "  said  Frank,  hastily. 

"  Certainly.  He  comes  to  me  with  the  rest 
of  the  property." 

"  And  I  have  absolutely  nothing,"  said 
Frank,  bitterly. 

"  What  does  it  matter?  Yrou  and  Mark  will 
have  the  use  of  Ajax,  while  I  pay  for  his  feed. 
My  ownership  will  bring  me  no  advantage." 

"  I  have  nothing  further  to  say,  sir,"  said 
Frank,  as  he  turned  to  go  downstairs. 


Making  His  Way.  57 

"  But  I  have,"  said  Mr.  Manning. 

"  Very  well,  sir." 

"  I  demand  that  you  treat  my  son  Mark  with 
suitable  respect,  and  forbear  to  infringe  upon 
his  rights." 

Frank  looked  up,  and  answered,  with  spirit : 

"  I  shall  treat  Mark  as  well  as  he  treats  me, 
sir.  Is  that  satisfactory?  " 

"  I  apprehend,"  said  Mr.  Manning,  "  that 
you  may  make  some  mistakes  upon  that 
point." 

"  I  will  try  not  to  do  so,  sir." 

Frank  left  the  room,  and  this  time  was  not 
called  back. 

His  stepfather  looked  after  him,  but  his  face 
expressed  neither  friendliness  nor  satisfaction.^ 

"  That  boy  requires  taming,"  he  said  to  him 
self.  "  He  is  going  to  make  trouble.  I  must 
consider  what  I  will  do  with  him." 

As  Mr.  Manning  reviewed  Franks  wrords, 
there  was  one  thing  which  especially  disturbed 
him — the  doubt  expressed  by  his  stepson  as  to 
his  mother's  having  actually  made  the  will. 

He  saw  that  it  would  not  do  for  him  to  go 
too  far  in  his  persecution  of  Frank,  as  it  might 
drive  the  latter  to  consult  a  lawyer  in  regard 
to  the  validity  of  the  will  by  which  he  had  been 
disinherited. 

When  Frank  left  his  stepfather's  presence, 
he  went  out  to  the  stable.  There  he  found 
Richard  Green,  the  coachman,  who  had  general 
charge  of  the  horses. 


58  Making  His  Way. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Frank,"  said  Richard,  smiling, 
"  did  you  have  a  pleasant  ride?  " 

"  No,  Richard ;  I  had  too  much  on  my  mind 
to  enjoy  it." 

"  Mr.  Mark  came  back  in  a  bad  temper," 
chuckled  the  coachman. 

"  I  suppose  I  interrupted  his  ride,"  said 
Frank. 

"  Served  him  right.  What  business  has  he 
to  take  out  your  horse?  " 

"  Mr.  Manning  has  just  told  me  that  it  is 
not  my  horse." 

"  Whose  is  it,  then,  I'd  like  to  know?  " 

"  He  says  it  is  his,  and  that  it  was  left  to 
him  with  the  property." 

"  There's  no  end  to  that  man's  impudence !  " 
ejaculated  Richard.  "  Didn't  your  mother 
give  it  to  you  for  y our  birthday?  " 

"  That  appears  to  count  for  nothing,  Rich 
ard.  Mr.  Manning  says  that  Mark  shall  have 
the  same  use  of  it  that  I  have." 

"  Are  you  going  to  submit  to  it,  Mr.  Frank?  " 

"  I  don't  know  yet  what  I  shall  do.  I  am 
likely  to  see  a  good  deal  of  trouble.  If  my  dear 
mother  really  made  that  will — which  I  can't 
believe — she  little  suspected  how  unhappy  she 
was  going  to  make  me." 

"  She  was  too  good  to  suspect  the  badness  of 
others,  Mr.  Frank.  She  thought  old  Manning 
was  really  all  that  he  pretended  to  be,  and  that 
he  would  be  as  kind  to  you  as  she  was  herself. 
When  she  was  alive,  he  was  always  as  soft  as— 
as  silk." 


Making  His  Way.  59 

"  His  manner  has  changed  now,"  said 
Frank,  gravely.  "  Excuse  me,  Richard,  for 
finding  fault  with  you,  but  don't  call  him  old 
Manning?  " 

"Why  not,  Mr.  Frank?" 

"  I  have  no  liking  for  Mr.  Manning — in'fact, 
I  dislike  him — but  he  was  the  husband  of  my 
mother,  and  I  prefer  to  speak  of  him  respect 
fully." 

"  I  dare  say  you  are  right,  Mr.  Frank,  but, 
all  the  same,  he  don't  deserve  it.  Is  Mr.  Mark 
to  ride  Ajax,  then?  " 

"  If  he  asks  for  it,  you  are  to  saddle  Ajax 
for  him.  I  don't  want  you  to  get  into  any 
trouble  with  Mr.  Manning  on  my  account." 

"  I  don't  care  for  that,  Mr.  Frank.  I  can  get 
another  place,  and  I  don't  much  care  to  serve 
Mr.  Manning." 

"  I  would  rather  you  would  stay,  if  you  can, 
Richard.  I  don't  want  to  see  a  new  face  in  the 
stable." 

"  I  don't  think  he  means  to  keep  me  long, 
Mr.  Frank.  Deborah  and  I  will  have  to  go,  I 
expect,  and  he'll  get  some  servants  of  his  own 
here." 

"  Has  he  hinted  anything  of  this,  Richard?  " 
asked  Frank,  quickly. 

"  No ;  but  he  will  soon,  you  may  depend  on 
it.  I  won't  lose  sight  of  you,  though.  I've 
known  you  since  you  were  four  years  old,  and  I 
won't  desert  you,  if  I  can  do  any  good — nor 
Deborah,  either." 


60  Making  His  Way. 

"  I  have  two  friends,  then,  at  any  rate,"  said 
Frank  to  himself.  .  "  That  is  something." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A  SCHOOL  FRIEND. 

EARLY  Monday  morning  it  had  been  the  cus 
tom  for  Frank  arid  Mark  to  take  the  train  for 
Bridgeville,  to  enter  upon  a  new  week  at  the 
academy. 

Frank  felt  that  it  would  be  better  for  him  to 
go  back  without  any  further  vacation,  as  occu 
pation  would  serve  to  keep  him  from  brooding 
over  his  loss. 

"Are  you  ready,  Mark?"  he  asked,  as  he 
rose  from  the  breakfast-table. 

"Ready  for  what?" 

"  To  go  back  to  school,  of  course." 

"  I  am  not  going  back  this  morning,"  an 
swered  Mark. 

"  Why  not?  "  asked  Frank,  in  some  surprise. 

"  I  am  going  to  stay  at  home  to  help  father," 
said  Mark,  with  a  glance  at  Mr.  Manning. 

"  If  I  can  be  of  any  service  to  you,  sir,  I  will 
stay,  too,"  said  Frank,  politely. 

"  Thank  you,  but  Mark  will  do  all  I  re 
quire,"  replied  his  stepfather. 

"  Very  well,  sir." 

Frank  appeared  at  the  academy  with  a  grave 
face  and  subdued  manner,  suggestive  of  the 
great  loss  he  had  sustained  From  his  school- 


Making  His  Way.  61 

fellows,  with  whom  he  was  a  favorite,  he  re 
ceived  many  words  of  sympathy — from  none 
more  earnest  or  sincere  than  from  Herbert 
Grant. 

"  I  know  how  you  feel,  Frank,"  he  said, 
pressing  the  hand  of  his  friend.  "  If  I  could 
comfort  you  I  would,  but  I  don't  know  how  to 
do  it." 

"  I  find  comfort  in  your  sympathy,"  said 
Frank.  "  I  look  upon  you  as  my  warmest 
friend  here." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,  Frank." 

To  Herbert  alone  Frank  spoke  of  his  mothei* 
and  her  devoted  affection ;  but  even  to  him  he 
did  not  like  to  mention  the  will  and  his  disin 
heritance.  He  did  not  so  much  lament  the  loss 
of  the  property  as  that  he  had  lost  it  by  the  di 
rection  of  his  mother,  or,  rather,  because  it 
would  generally  be  supposed  so. 

For  himself,  he  doubted  the  genuineness  of 
the  will,  but  he  felt  that  it  was  useless  to  speak 
of  it,  as  he  was  unprepared  with  any  proofs. 

So  it  happened  that  when,  on  Wednesday 
afternoon,  Mark  Manning  made  his  appear 
ance,  Frank's  change  of  position,  as  respected 
tke  property,  was  neither  known  nor  suspected 
by  his  schoolfellows.  It  was  soon  known, 
however,  and  of  course,  through  Mark. 

The  boys  immediately  noticed  a  change  in 
Mark.  He  assumed  an  air  of  consequence,  and 
actually  strutted  across  the  campus.  Instead 
of  being  polite  and  attentive  to  Frank,  he 


62  Making  His  Way. 

passed  him  with  a  careless  nod,  such  as  a  su 
perior  might  bestow  on  an  inferior. 

"What  has  come  over  Mark?"  asked  Her 
bert  of  Frank,  as  the  two  were  walking  to 
gether  from  recitation. 

"  How  do  you  mean?  " 

"  He  holds  his  head  higher  than  he  used  to 
do.  He  looks  as  if  he  had  been  elected  to  some 
important  office." 

"  You  will  soon  learn,  Herbert,"  said  Frank. 
"  Make  a  pretext  to  join  him,  and  let  the  news 
come  from  him." 

Herbert  looked  puzzled. 

"  Do  you  wish  me  to  do  this?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  I  have  a  reason  for  it." 

"  Very  well.  I  am  always  ready  to  oblige 
you,  Frank,  but  I  hope  Mark  won't  think  I 
have  suddenly  formed  a  liking  for  his  society." 

"  If  he  does,  you  can  soon  undeceive  him." 

"  That  is  true." 

Herbert  left  the  side  of  his  friend,  and  saun 
tered  toward  Mark. 

As  Herbert  was  known  as  Frank's  especial 
friend,  Mark  was  at  first  surprised,  but  quickly 
decided  that  his  improved  position  had  been 
communicated  by  Frank,  and  that  Herbert  was 
influenced  by  it.  That  is  to  say,  he  judged 
Herbert  to  be  as -mean  and  mercenary  as  him 
self. 

Herbert's  position  was  too  humble  to  entitle 
him  to  much  notice  from  Mark,  but  the  latter 
was  pleased  with  the  prospect  of  detaching 
from  Frank  his  favorite  friend. 


Making  His  Way.  63 

"  You  came  back  rather  late,  Mark,"  said 
Herbert. 

"  Yes/7  answered  Mark,  with  an  air  of  im 
portance.  "  I  remained  at  home  a  short  time, 
to  help  my  father  in  his  accounts.  You  know 
the  property  is  large,  and  there  is  a  good  deal 
to  do." 

"  I  should  think  that  was  Frank's  place,  to 
help  about  the  accounts." 

"Why?" 

"  The  property  is  his,  of  course !  " 

"Did  he  tell  you  that?"  asked  Mark, 
sharply. 

"  He  has  not  said  a  word  about  the  prop' 
erty." 

"  No,  I  suppose  not,"  said  Mark,  with  a 
sneering  laugh. 

"  Has  anything  happened?  Didn't  his 
mother  leave  as  much  as  was  expected?  "  went 
on  Herbert,  quite  in  the  dark. 

"  Yes,  she  left  a  large  estate,  but  she  didn't 
leave  it  to  him." 

"To  whom,  then?" 

"  To  my  father ! "  replied,  Mark,  with  con 
scious  pride.  "  Frank  has  nothing.  He  is  en 
tirely  dependent  upon  father." 

"  Did  his  mother  leave  him  nothing,  then?  " 
asked  Herbert,  in  pained  surprise. 

"  Nothing  at  all,"  assured  Mark,  compla 
cently. 

"  That  is  very  strange  and  unjust." 

"  I  don't  look  upon  it  in  that  light,"  said 


64  Making  His  Way. 

Mark,  nettled.  "  My  father  knows  what  is 
best  for  him.  He  will  provide  for  him  just  as 
his  mother  did  before." 

"  But  when  Frank  is  of  age,  doesn't  he  come 
into  possession  of  the  estate  then?  " 

"  No,  of  course  not.  Didn't  I  tell  you  it 
belongs  to  father?  Frank  is  a  poor  boy — as 
poor  as  you,"  said  Mark,  in  a  tone  of  evident 
satisfaction. 

"  Or  you,"  added  Herbert,  pointedly. 

"  You  are  mistaken,"  said  Mark,  quickly. 
"  I  am  father's  heir." 

"  Suppose  your  father  dies — how  will  the 
property  go?  " 

"  I  suppose  something  will  be  left  to  Frank, 
unless  my  father  leaves  me  the  property,  with 
directions  to  provide  for  him." 

"Would  you  think  that  right  and  just?" 
demanded  Herbert,  indignantly. 

"  Of  course  I  would.  My  stepmother  knew 
what  she  was  about  when  she  made  her  will.  I 
see  you  are  surprised.  You  won't  be  quite  so 
thick  with  Frank,  now,  I  expect." 

"Why  shouldn't  I  be?" 

"  Because  he  is  just  as  poor  as  you  are.  He 
never  can  help  you." 

"  Mark  Manning,  I  believe  you  are  about  the 
meanest  boy  I  ever  encountered,  and  you  judge 
me  by  yourself !  " 

"  Do  you  mean  to  insult  me?  Mind  what 
you  say ! "  blustered  Mark,  unpleasantly  sur 
prised  at  this  outburst  from  a  boy  whom  he 


Making  His  Way.  65 

expected  would  now  transfer  his  allegiance 
from  Prank  to  himself. 

"  I  mean  that  you  and  your  father  have 
robbed  Frank  of  his  inheritance,  and  glory  in 
it,  and  you  think  that  I  am  mean  enough  to 
desert  him  because  he  is  no  longer  rich.  It 
makes  no  difference  to  me  whether  he  is  rich  or 
poor.  I  think  I  like  him  all  the  better  because 
he  has  been  so  badly  treated.  As  for  you,  I 
despise  you,  and  shall  continue  to,  even  if  you 
get  the  whole  of  Frank's  money." 

"  You  forget  that  you  are  talking  to  a  gentle 
man,  you  low-born  mechanic !  "  said\FranA  an 
grily.  /**'* 

"  You  a  gentleman !  "  replied  Herbert,  con 
temptuously.  "  Then  I  never  want  to  be 
one!" 

He  walked  away,  leaving  Mark  very  much 
incensed. 

"  He  is  a  fool !  "  muttered  Mark.  "  When  I 
am  a  rich  man,  he  may  repent  having  insulted 
me." 

Herbert  went  back  to  Frank. 

"  Did  he  tell  you?  "  asked  Frank,  quietly. 

"Yes;  and  he  actually  appeared  to  think  I 
would  be  ready  to  desert  you  because  you  were 
poor,  and  follow  him  about." 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  that,  Herbert." 

"  I  don't  think  Mark  will  have  that  idea  any 
more.  I  gave  him  a  piece  of  my  mind,  and  left 
him  very  angry.  But  what  does  it  all  mean, 
Frank?" 


66  Making  His  Way. 

"  I  know  no  more  than  you  do,  Herbert.  I 
cannot  understand  it." 

"  What  could  have  induced  your  mother  to 
make  such  a  will  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  believe  my  poor  mother  ever  made 
such  a  will ;  but,  if  she  did,  I  am  very  sure  that 
she  was  overpersuaded  by  my  stepfather,  who 
is  one  of  the  most  plausible  of  men." 

"What  shall  you  do  about  it?" 

"  What  can  I  do?  I  am  only  a  boy.  I  have 
no  proof,  you  know." 

"  How  are  you  likely  to  be  treated?  " 

"  I  have  had  a  little  foretaste  of  that." 

And  Frank  related  the  incident  about  Ajax. 

"  It  looks  very  bad  for  you,  Frank,"  ad 
mitted  Herbert,  in  a  tone  of  sympathy. 

"  I  don't  so  much  care  for  the  loss  of  the 
property,  Herbert,"  said  Frank,  "  but  I  am 
afraid  I  shall  have  all  sorts  of  annoyances  to 
endure  from  Mark  and  his  father.  But  I  won't 
anticipate  trouble.  I  will  do  my  duty,  and 
trust  that  things  will  turn  out  better  than  I 
fear." 

The  next  afternoon  a  letter  was  placed  in 
Frank's  hands.  It  was  in  a  brown  envelope, 
and  directed  in  a  cramped  and  evidently  un- 
practiced  hand,  with  which  Frank  was  not 
familiar. 

On  opening  it,  a  glance  at  the  signature 
showed  that  it  was  from  Richard  Green,  the 
coachman.  It  commenced : 

"  DEAR  MR.  FRANK  :  This  comes  hoping  you  are  welL 


Making  His  Way.  67 

I  have  no  good  news  to  tell.  Mr.  Manning  has  sold  your 
horse,  Ajax,  and  he  is  to  be  taken  away  to-night.  I 
thought  you  ought  to  know  it,  and  that  is  why  I  take  my 
pen  in  hand  to  write." 

There  was  more,  but  this  is  all  that  was  im 
portant. 

Frank's  face  flushed  with  anger.  He  im 
mediately  went  in  search  of  Mark,  who,  he  felt 
assured,  knew  of  the  sale. 


CHAPTER  X. 

A  NEW   PLAN. 

MARK  was  in  his  room,  where  Frank  found 
him  trying  on  a  new  necktie.  Though  de 
cidedly  plain,  Mark  fancied  himself  very  good- 
looking,  and  spent  no  little  time  on  personal 
adornment.  In  particular,  he  had  a  weakness 
for  new  neckties,  in  which  he  indulged  himself 
freely. 

When  the  boys  came  to  the  academy,  the 
principal  proposed  that  they  should  room  to 
gether;  but  both  objected,  and  Mark  had  a 
room  to  himself — no  one  caring  to  room  with 
him. 

"  Take  a  seat,  Frank,"  said  Mark,  conde 
scendingly.  "  Is  there  anything  I  can  do  for 
you?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  Frank.  "  I  hear  that  your 
father  has  sold  Ajax,  or  is  intending  to  do  so. 
Will  you  tell  me  if  it  is  true?" 

"  I  believe  it  is,"  answered  Mark,  indiffer 
ently. 


68  Making  His  Way. 

"  And  what  right  has  he  to  sell  my  horse?11 
demanded  Frank,  indignantly. 

"  You'd  better  ask  him,"  said  Mark,  with 
provoking  coolness. 

"  It  is  an  outrage,"  said  Frank,  indignantly. 

"  As  to  that,"  said  his  stepbrother,  "  you 
can't  expect  father  to  be  at  the  expense  of  feed 
ing  your  horse." 

"With  my  money?" 

"  The  money  is  legally  his.  Besides,  it  is  a 
vicious  brute.  I  haven't  forgotten  how  he 
treated  me  the  other  day." 

"  It  was  all  your  fault.  Why  did  you  lash 
him?" 

"  Horses  were  meant  to  be  whipped,"  said 
Mark.  "If  they  were  not,  what  do  we  have 
whips  for?  " 

"  At  any  rate,  Ajax  gave  you  a  lesson  on  the 
subject,"  said  Frank,  significantly.  "  Do  you 
know  to  whom  your  father  has  sold  Ajax?  " 

"  To  Col.  Vincent,  I  believe." 

"  I  am  glad,  at  any  rate,  that  he  will  have  a 
good  master." 

"  How  did  you  learn  about  his  being  sold?  " 
inquired  Mark,  in  considerable  curiosity. 

Frank  reflected  that  a  true  answer  might 
get  the  coachman  into  trouble,  and  replied, 
guardedly : 

"  I  prefer  not  to  tell  you." 

"  I  don't  need  to  be  told,"  said  Mark.  "  I 
am  sure  it  was  either  Deborah  or  Richard 
Green  who  wrote  you,  Wasn't  it?  " 


Making  His  Way.  09 

"  You  are  at  liberty  to  guess." 

"  You  can't  keep  it  from  me.  I  will  soon 
find  out." 

"  Just  as  you  please.  I  may  have  heard 
from  your  father,  for  aught  you  know." 

"  I  know  you  didn't,  fothe  cautioned  me  not 
to  tell  you." 

"  Indeed !  "  said  Frank.  "  Did  he  give  any 
reason  for  concealing  it?  It  seems  to  me  that, 
as  Ajax  was  bought  for  me,  I  ought  to  be  the 
first  to  be  informed." 

"  Father  said  you  would  make  a  fuss,  and  it 
was  just  as  well  you  should  not  know  till  the 
horse  was  gone.  I  will  let  him  know  that  he 
has  spies  in  the  house." 

"  You  are  mean  enough  to  do  so,  Mark  Man 
ning,  I  know  very  well.  It  will  be  better  for 
you  not  to  meddle  with  matters  that  don't  con 
cern  you." 

"  You'd  better  not  insult  me,"  said  Mark, 
angrily,  "  or  it  will  be  the  worse  for  you." 

Frank  laughed. 

"  I  am  not  easily  frightened,"  he  said.  "  I 
am  prepared  for  the  consequences  of  my  ac 
tions." 

Frank  felt  that  there  would  be  no  advantage 
in  prolonging  the  interview,  or  carrying  on 
further  a  wrar  of  words. 

He  sought  out  his  friend  Herbert,  and  com 
municated  to  him  this  last  infraction  of  his 
rights. 

"  It  is  too  bad,  Frank ! "  said  his  sympa 
thizing  friend. 


70  Making  His  Way. 

"  Yes,  it  is,"  said  Frank,  gravely ;  "  but  I 
fear  it  is  only  the  beginning  of  annoyances. 
I  don't  believe  I  can  ever  live  in  any  place  with 
Mr.  Manning  or  Mark." 

"  Will  it  be  necessary?  " 

"  I  suppose  so.  I  have  no  money,  as  you 
know.  All  has  gone  to  him.  Herbert,  I  tell 
you  frankly,  I  envy  you  and  your  position." 

"  Though  my  father  is  a  poor  man?  " 

"  Yes;  for,  at  any  rate,  you  have  a  peaceful 
home,  and  a  father  and  mother  who  love  you. 
I  have  a  stepfather,  who  will  do  all  he  can  to 
make  me  miserable." 

"  Would  you  be  willing  to  wrork  for  your 
own  support,  Prank  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  far  rather  than  remain  a  dependent 
on  Mr.  Manning." 

"  Suppose  you  should  run  away,"  suggested 
Herbert. 

Frank  shook  his  head. 

"  I  wouldn't  do  that  except  in  case  of  ex 
treme  necessity.  I  know  that  if  my  mother 
knows  what  goes  on  here,  it  would  grieve  her 
for  me  to  take  such  a  step." 

"  Suppose  your  stepfather  should  consent 
to  your  leaving  home?  " 

"  Then  I  would  do  so  gladly.  I  am  willing  to 
work,  and  I  think  I  could  make  a  living  in 
some  way." 

"Why  not  ask  him?" 

Frank's  face  brightened. 

"  Thank  you  for  the  hint,  Herbert,"  he  said. 
"  I  will  think  of  it,  and  I  may  act  upon  it." 


Making  His  Way.  71 

Frank  was  naturally  self-reliant  and  ener 
getic.  He  was  not  disposed  to  shrink  from  the 
duties  of  life,  but  was  ready  to  go  forth  to  meet 
them.  The  idea  which  Herbert  had  suggested 
commended  itself  to  him  the  more  he  thought 
of  it. 

In  spite,  therefore,  of  the  news  which  he  had 
received  about  Ajax,  he  resumed  his  cheerful 
ness,  considerably  to  the  surprise  of  Mark, 
whose  natural  suspicion  led  him  to  conjecture 
that  Frank  had  some  plan  in  view  to  circum 
vent  his  father. 

"If  he  has,  he'd  better  give  it  up,"  reflected 
Mark.  "  The  old  man's  as  sly  as  a  fox.  A 
raw  boy  like  Frank  can't  get  the  better  of 
him." 

At  the  close  of  the  week,  both  the  boys  went 
home.  They  were  on  board  the  same  train 
and  the  same  car,  but  did  not  sit  together. 
When  they  reached  the  house,  Mr.  Manning 
was  not  at  home. 

Ifrank  went  out  to  the  stable  at  once  to  see 
Richard  Green,  the  coachman. 

He  found  him,  indeed,  but  he  also  found  an 
other  man,  a  stranger,  who  appeared  to  be  em 
ployed  in  the  stable. 

"Who  is  this,  Richard?"  asked  Frank. 

"  My  successor,"  answered  the  coachman. 

"Are  you  going  to  leave?"  asked  Frank, 
hastily. 

"  Come  out  with  me,  Mr.  Frank,  and  I  will 
tell  you,"  said  Richard.  "  I've  had  notice  to 


72  Making  His  Way. 

leave,"  he  said,  "  and  so  has  Deborah.  It  came 
last  evening.  Mr.  Manning  got  a  letter  from 
Bridgeville — I  know  that,  because  I  brought  it 
home  from  the  post  office — which  appeared  to 
make  him  angry.  He  called  Deborah  and  me 
and  told  us  that  he  should  not  need  our  serv 
ices  any  longer." 

"  Did  he  give  you  any  reason?  " 

"  Yes ;  he  said  that  he  could  have  our  places 
filled  for  a  good  deal  less  money,  and  he  had 
no  doubt  we  could  do  as  well  elsewhere." 

"  He  has  filled  your  place  pretty  soon." 

"  Yes.  This  man  came  this  morning.  I 
think  Mr.  Manning  had  sent  for  him  already. 
I  told  you  the  other  day  we  should  soon  be  dis 
charged." 

"  I  know  it ;  but  I  can  tell  you  what  has 
hastened  it." 

"What,  then?" 

"  Mark  wrote  his  father  that  I  had  learned 
about  the  sale  of  Ajax,  and  that  the  informa 
tion  came  from  you  or  Deborah." 

"  I  think  it  likely,  Mr.  Frank,  for  the  old 
gentleman  seemed  mighty  cool.  I  hope  you 
won't  take  it  too  much  to  heart  that  Ajax  is 
sold." 

"  I  am  not  sure  but  I  am  glad  of  it,"  said 
Prank. 

The  coachman  looked  at  him  in  surprise. 

"  I  thought  you  would  be  very  angry,"  he 
said. 

"  So  I  was  at  first,  but  he  has  been  sold  to  a 


Making  His  Way,  73 

man  who  will  treat  him  well,  and  I  shall  be 
glad  to  think  of  that  when  I'm  away  from 
home." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  run  away,  Mr.  Frank?  " 

"  No ;  but  I  mean  to  get  my  stepfather's  per 
mission  to  go,  if  I  can." 

"  Where  do  you  mean  to  go,  Mr.  Frank?  " 

"  Somewhere  where  I  can  earn  my  living, 
without  depending  upon  anybody.  You  know 
very  well,  Richard,  how  miserable  I  should  be 
to  stay  here  in  dependence  upon  Mr.  Man 
ning." 

"  But  to  think  that  you,  to  whom  the  prop 
erty  rightfully  belongs,  should  go  away  and 
work  for  a  living,  while  that  man  and  his  boy 
occupy  your  place.  I  can't  bear  to  think  of  it." 

"  I  have  done  a  good  deal  of  thinking  within 
a  few  days,  and  I  don't  shrink  from  the  pros 
pect.  I  think  I  should  rather  enjoy  being  ac 
tively  employed." 

"  But  you  were  to  go  to  college,  Mr.  Frank." 

"  I  know  it,  Richard,  but  I  am  not  sure 
whether  it  would  be  for  the  best.  My  tastes 
are  for  an  active  business  life,  and  I  don't 
care  for  a  profession." 

"  Do  you  think  your  stepfather  will  give  you 
a  start?" 

"  In  the  way  of  money?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  I  don't  know.  If  he  won't,  I  have  still  fifty 
dollars  in  the  savings-bank,  which  I  have  saved 
from  my  pocket  money.  I  will  take  that," 


74  Making  His  Way. 

"  Mr.  Frank,  will  you  promise  not  to  be  of 
fended  at  what  I'm  going  to  say?  " 

"  I  don't  think  you  would  say  anything  that 
ought  to  offend  me,  Richard." 

"  Then  I  want  you  to  take  the  money  that 
comes  to  me  by  the  will — Mr.  Manning  is  to 
pay  it  to  me  on  Monday.  I  don't  need  it,  and 
you  may." 

Frank  shook  his  head. 

"  You  are  very  kind,  Richard,  but  I  will  get 
along  with  fifty  dollars,  unless  Mr.  Manning 
supplies  me  with  more.  If  I  really  need 
money  at  any  time,  I  will  think  of  your  offer." 

"  That's  something,  at  any  rate,"  said  Rich 
ard,  partly  reconciled.  "  You  won't  forget  it 
now,  Mr.  Frank?" 

"  No,  Richard,  I  promise  you." 

Frank  left  the  stable  and  went  thoughtfully 
into  the  house. 

CHAPTER  XL 

THE  NEW  OWNER  OF  AJAX. 

FRANK  and  Mark  took  supper  alone,  Mr. 
Manning  having  left  word  that  he  would  not 
return  till  later  in  the  evening. 

After  supper,  Frank  decided  to  go  over  to 
call  upon  Col.  Vincent,  the  new  owner  of  Ajax. 
His  estate  was  distant  about  three-quarters  of 
a  mile  from  the  Cedars. 

As  Frank  started,  Mark  inquired : 

"  Where  are  you  going,  Frank?  " 


Making  His  Way.  75 

"  To  see  Ajax,"  answered  our  hero. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  make  any  fuss  about  him? 
I  wouldn't  advise  you  to." 

"  Thank  you  for  your  advice." 

"  I  wonder  what  he  is  going  to  do?  "  thought 
Mark.  "  Of  course  he  can't  do  anything  now." 

He  did  not  venture  to  propose  to  accompany 
Frank,  knowing  that  his  company  would  not 
be  acceptable. 

"Is  Col.  Vincent  at  home?"  asked  Frank, 
at  the  door  of  a  handsome  house. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Courtney,"  replied  the  colored 
servant,  pleasantly,  for  Frank  was  a  favorite 
among  all  classes  in  the  neighborhood. 
"  Come  right  in,  sir.  De  colonel  am  smoking 
a  cigar  on  de  back  piazza." 

Frank  followed  the  servant  through  the  hall 
which  intersected  the  house,  and  stepped  out 
on  the  back  piazza. 

A  stout,  elderly  gentleman  was  taking  his 
ease  in  a  large  rustic  rocking-chair. 

"  Good-evening,  Col.  Vincent,"  our  hero 
said. 

"  Good-evening,  Frank,  my  boy,"  said  the 
colonel,  heartily.  "  Glad  to  see  you.  Haven't 
you  gone  back  to  school?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  but  I  came  home  to  spend  Sun 
day.  It  doesn't  seem  much  like  home  now," 
he  added,  as  his  lip  quivered. 

"  You  have  suffered  a  great  loss,  my  dear 
boy,"  said  the  colonel,  feelingly. 

"  The  greatest,  sir.  My  mother  was  all  I 
had." 


76  Making  His  Way. 

"  I  suppose  Mr.  Manning  will  keep  up  the 
establishment?  " 

"  I  suppose  so,  sir ;  but  it  is  no  longer  home 
to  me." 

"Don't  take  it  too  hard,  Frank.  I  was 
sorry  about  the  will." 

"  So  was  I,  sir ;  because  it  makes  me  depend 
ent  on  a  man  whom  I  dislike." 

"  Don't  be  too  prejudiced,  Frank.  I  never 
took  any  fancy  to  your  stepfather  myself;  but 
then  we  don't  need  to  like  everybody  we  asso 
ciate  with." 

"  I  hear  you  have  bought  my  horse,  Col.  Vin 
cent,"  said  Frank,  desiring  to  change  the 
subject. 

"Was  Ajax  your  horse?" 

"  Yes.  It  was  given  to  me  as  a  birthday 
present  by  my  mother." 

"  I  had  some  such  idea,  and  expressly  asked 
Mr.  Manning  whether  the  horse  was  not 
yours." 

"  What  did  he  answer?  " 

"  That  it  was  only  nominally  yours,  and  that 
he  thought  it  best  to  sell  it,  as  both  you  and 
Mark  were  absent  at  school,  and  had  no  time 
to  use  it." 

"  I  am  not  surprised  at  anything  Mr.  Man 
ning  may  say,"  said  Frank. 

"  It's  too  bad !  I'll  tell  you  what  I  will  do, 
Frank.  I  haven't  paid  for  the  horse  yet.  I 
will  return  it  to  Mr.  Manning,  and  tell  him 
that  I  bought  it  under  a  misapprehension  of 


Making  His  Way.  77 

the  ownership.  I  don't  think  he  will  make 
any  fuss." 

"  I  would  rather  have  you  keep  it,  sir." 

"  You  would !  "  exclaimed  the  colonel,  in 
surprise. 

"  Yes,  sir.  If  you  should  return  Ajax,  Mr. 
Manning  would  sell  him  to  some  one  else,  and 
you,  I  know,  will  treat  him  well." 

"  But  you  will  lose  the  use  of  him.  No, 
you  won't,  though.  Come  over  to  my  stable 
when  you  like,  and,  if  he  is  not  in  use,  you  can 
take  him  out." 

"  Thank  you,  sir !  You  are  very  kind. 
While  I  am  in  the  neighborhood,  I  won't  for 
get  your  kind  offer.  But  I  mean  to  go  away." 

"  You  mean  to  go  away !     Where?  " 

"  Out  into  the  world.  Anywhere,  where  I 
can  find  work  and  make  a  living." 

"  But  surely  this  is  not  necessary.  Your 
stepfather  will  provide  for  you  without  your 
working." 

"  I  have  no  reason  to  doubt  it,  Col.  Vincent ; 
but  I  shall  be  happier  in  the  world  outside." 

"  Of  course  you  will  let  Mr.  Manning  know 
of  your  intention  to  leave  home?  " 

"  I  shall  ask  his  permission  to  go  at  the  end 
of  my  school  term.  That  comes  in  a  couple 
of  weeks." 

"Where  will  you  go?" 

"  A  cousin  of  my  father  lives  at  Newark, 
New  Jersey.  I  think  I  shall  go  to  him  first, 
and  ask  his  advice  about  getting  a  place  either 
there  or  in  New  York," 


78  Making  His  Way. 

"  You  will  need  some  money  to  start  with. 
Do  you  think  Mr.  Manning  will  give  you  any?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir !  That  won't  prevent 
my  going.  I  have  fifty  dollars  in  a  savings- 
bank,  saved  up  from  my  allowance,  and  that 
will  be  all  I  shall  need." 

"  If  you  have  any  difficulty  on  that  score, 
Frank,  remember  that  I  was  your  father's 
friend,  and  mean  to  be  yours.  Apply  to  me 
at  any  time  when  you  are  in  a  strait." 

"  I  will,  sir,  and  thank  you  heartily." 

"  That  was  a  strange  will,  Frank.  I  don't 
want  to  put  any  ideas  into  your  head  to  disturb 
you,  but  had  your  mother  ever  led  you  to  sus 
pect  that  she  intended  to  leave  you  dependent 
on  your  stepfather?  " 

"  Never,  sir !  " 

"  Don't  you  think  she  would  have  done  so, 
had  she  had  such  a  plan  in  view?  " 

."  I  do,"  said  Frank,  quickly. 

The  colonel's  eye  met  his,  and  each  knew 
what  the  other  suspected. 

"  There  is  nothing  for  me  to  do  at  present, 
sir,"  said  Frank.  "  If  Mr.  Manning  does  not 
interfere  with  my  plans,  I  shall  not  trouble 
him." 

"  I  will  hint  as  much  when  I  see  him.  It 
may  clear  the  way  for  you." 

"  I  wish  you  would,  sir." 

"  Come  and  see  me  again,  Frank,"  said  the 
colonel,  as  Frank  rose  to  go. 

"  I  cer^mly  will,  sir." 


Making  His  Way.  79 

"  Your  father's  son  will  always  be  welcome 
at  my  house.  When  did  you  say  your  school 
term  closes?  " 

"  In  a  fortnight." 

"  I  will  see  your  stepfather  within  a  few 
days.  By  the  way,  Frank,  wouldn't  you  like 
a  gallop  on  Ajax  to-night?  " 

"  Yes,  sir;  I  should  enjoy  it." 

"  Come  out  to  the  stable  with  me,  then." 

Ajax  whinnied  with  delight  when  he  saw 
his  old,  or  rather  his  young  master,  and  evinced 
satisfaction  when  Frank  stroked  him  caress 
ingly. 

"Sam,"  said  Col.  Vincent,  "  Frank  is  to 
ride  Ajax  whenever  he  pleases.  Saddle  him 
for  his  use  whenever  he  asks  you." 

•"  That  I  will,  sir,"  answered  Sam.  "  Often 
and  often  I've  seen  Mr.  Frank  on  his  back. 
Doesn't  he  ride  well,  though?  " 

"  Don't  flatter  me,  Sam,"  said  Frank,  laugh 
ing. 

Five  minutes  later  he  was  on  the  back  of 
his  favorite  horse,  galloping  down  the  road. 

"  I  hope  I  shall  meet  Mark,"  thought  Frank. 
"  I  would  like  to  give  him  a  sensation." 

Considering  the  manner  in  which  Mark  had 
treated  his  stepbrother,  Frank  may  be  excused 
for  the  wish  to  puzzle  him  a  little. 

Finding  himself  lonely,  Mark  decided  tp 
take  a  walk  not  long  after  Frank's  departure. 
He  was  sauntering  along  the  road,  when  he 
heard  the  sound  of  hoofs,  and.  to  his  surprise, 
saw  his  stepbrother  on  the  back  of  Ajax, 


80  Making  His  Way. 

His  first  thought  was  that  Frank  had  gone 
to  Col.  Vincent's  stable  and  brought  away 
Ajax  without  permission,  in  defiance  of  Mr. 
Manning's  will.  He  resolved  to  take  him  to 
task  for  it  immediately.  Frank  purposely 
slackened  the  speed  of  his  horse  in  order  to 
give  Mark  the  chance  he  sought. 

"Why  are  you  riding  Ajax?"  asked  Mark. 

"  It  is  a  pleasant  evening,"  answered  Frank, 
"  and  I  thought  I  should  enjoy  it." 

"  Where  did  you  get  him?  " 

"  From  Col.  Vincent's  stable,  where  he  never 
ought  to  have  been  carried,"  answered  Frank, 
with  spirit. 

"  You  seem  to  think  you  can  do  anything 
you  like,  Frank  Courtney,"  said  Mark,  pro 
voked,  deciding  that  his  suspicions  were  well 
founded. 

"  Is  there  any  particular  reason  why  I 
should  not  ride  Ajax?"  demanded  Frank. 

"  You  have  made  yourself  liable  to  arrest 
for  horse  stealing,"  said  Mark.  "  It  would 
serve  you  right  if  Col.  Vincent  should  have 
you  arrested  and  tried." 

"  I  don't  think  he  will  gratify  your  kind 
wishes,  Mark." 

"  Just  wait  and  see  what  my  father  has  to 
say  to  you." 

*  "  I  have  only  done  what  I  had  a  perfect 
right  to  do;  but  I  can't  stop  to  dispute  with 
you.  I  must  finish  my  ride.  Hey,  Ajax !  " 

As  he  spoke  the  horse  dashed  into  a  gallop, 


Making  His  Way.  8 1 

and  Mark  was  left  looking  after  him  in  a  dis 
turbed  frame  of  mind. 

"  I'll  tell  my  father  as  soon  as  he  gets  home," 
he  decided;  and  he  kept  his  word. 

In  consequence,  Frank,  by  that  time  re 
turned,  was  summoned  into  Mr.  Manning's 
presence. 

"What's  this  I  hear?"  he  began.  "Did 
you  ride  Ajax  this  evening?  " 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Where  did  you  find  him?  " 

"  In  Col.  Vincent's  stable." 

"  This  is  a  high-handed  proceeding,  Frank 
Courtney.  Have  you  any  excuse  to  offer? " 

"  None  is  needed,  sir.  Col.  Vincent  has 
given  me  permission  to  ride  him  whenever  I 
please." 

"  It  appears  to  me,  Mark,"  said  Mr.  Man 
ning,  sharply,  "  that  you  have  made  a  fool  of 
yourself." 

"  How  should  I  know?  "  replied  Mark,  mor 
tified  by  the  collapse  of  his  sensation.  "  Frank 
didn't  tell  me  he  had  leave  to  use  the  horse." 

And  he  left  the  room,  looking  foolish. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

MARK  YIELDS  TO  TEMPTATION. 

THERE  are  some  boys,  as  well  as  men,  who 
cannot  stand  prosperity. 

It  appeared  that  Mark  Manning  was  one  of 
these. 


82  Making  His  Way. 

While  his  stepmother  was  living  and  his 
father's  prospects — and  consequently  his  own 
• — were  uncertain,  he  had  been  circumspect  in 
his  behavior  and  indulged  in  nothing  that 
could  be  considered  seriously  wrong. 

When  his  father  came  into  possession  of 
a  large  fortune,  and  his  pocket-money  was 
doubled,  Mark  began  to  throw  off  some  of  the 
restraint  which,  from  motives  of  prudence,  he 
had  put  upon  himself. 

About  the  middle  of  the  next  week,  as  Frank 
was  taking  a  walk  after  school  hours,  he  was 
considerably  surprised  to  see  Mark  come  out 
of  a  well-known  liquor  saloon  frequented  by 
men  and  boys  of  intemperate  habits. 

The  students  of  Bridgeville  Academy  were 
strictly  forbidden  this  or  any  other  saloon,  and 
I  am  sure  that  my  boy  readers  will  agree  with 
me  that  this  rule  was  a  very  proper  one. 

Mark  Manning  appeared  to  have  been  drink 
ing.  His  face  was  flushed,  and  his  breath,  if 
one  came  near  enough  to  him,  was  redolent 
of  the  fumes  of  alcohol.  With  him  was 
James  Carson,  one  of  the  poorest  scholars  and 
most  unprincipled  boys  in  the  academy.  It 
was  rather  surprising  that  he  had  managed 
for  so  long  to  retain  his  position  in  the  insti 
tution,  but  he  was  crafty  and  took  good  care 
not  to  be  caught. 

To  go  back  a  little,  it  was  chiefly  owing  to 
James  Carson's  influence  that  Mark  had  en 
tered  the  saloon. 


Making  His  Way.  83 

When  he  learned  that  Mark's  worldly  pros 
pects  had  improved,  and  that  he  had  a  large 
supply  of  pocket  money,  he  determined  to  culti 
vate  his  acquaintance — though  privately  he 
thought  Mark  a  disagreeable  boy — with  the 
intention  of  obtaining  for  himself  a  portion  of 
Mark's  surplus  means. 

At  the  first  of  the  term  he  had  made  similar 
advances  to  Frank,  but  they  were  coldly  re 
ceived,  so  much  so  that  he  did  not  think  it 
worth  while  to  persevere  in  courting  our  hero's 
intimacy. 

He  succeeded  better  with  Mark,  his  crafty 
nature  teaching  him  how  to  approach  him. 

"  Mark,"  he  said,  with  a  great  show  of  cor 
diality,  "  I  am  delighted  to  hear  of  your  good 
fortune.  I  always  liked  you,  and  I  think  you 
deserve  to  be  rich." 

"  Thank  you ! "  said  Mark,  much  gratified, 
for  he  liked  flattery.  "  I  am  sure  I  am  very 
much  obliged  to  you." 

"  Oh,  not  at  all !  I  only  say  what  I  think. 
Shall  I  tell  you  why  I  am  particularly  glad?  " 

"  Yes,  if  you  like,"  returned  Mark,  in  some 
curiosity. 

"  Because  I  like  you  better  than  that  young 
muff,  your  stepbrother.  I  hope  you  won't  be 
offended  at  my  plain  speaking,"  he  added,  art 
fully. 

"  Certainly  not !  "  said  Mark,  almost  as  well 
pleased  with  abuse  of  Frank  as  with  praise  of 
himself.  "  To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  don't  much 


84  Making  His  Way. 

like  Frank  myself.  He  is  my  stepbrother,  to 
be  sure,  but  he  always  makes  himself  disagree 
able  to  me." 

"Then  you  are  not  offended  with  me?  " 

"  Of  course  not !  How  can  I  expect  you  to 
like  Prank,  when  I  don't  myself?  " 

Of  course  James  was  perfectly  aware  of  the 
feeling  between  the  stepbrothers,  and  his  as 
sumed  ignorance  was  so  transparent  that 
Mark,  had  he  not  been  blinded  by  his  self- 
conceit,  might  easily  have  seen  through  it. 

"  I  suppose,"  said  James,  "  you  will  see  a 
little  life  now  that  you  are  your  own  master 
and  have  plenty  of  money." 

"  I  don't  know  exactly  what  you  mean, 
James.  There  isn't  much  life  to  be  seen  in 
Bridgeville." 

"  That  is  true ;  but  still  there  is  some.  Sup 
pose  now  " — by  this  time  they  were  in  front  of 
the  saloon,  which,  besides  a  bar,  contained  a 
billiard  and  pool  table — "  suppose  now  we  go 
in  and  have  a  game  of  billiards." 

"  It's  against  the  rules,  isn't  it? "  asked 
Mark. 

"  What  do  you  care  for  the  rules? "  said 
James,  contemptuously. 

"  If  the  old  man  hears  of  it,  we  shall  get  into 
hot  water." 

By  the  "  old  man  "  Mark  meant  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Brush,  the  venerable  and  respected  prin 
cipal  of  the  Bridgeville  Academy,  but  such 
boys  as  he  have  very  little  respect  for  the 
constituted  authorities. 


Making  His  Way.  85 

"Why  need  .he  know  it?  We  will  slip  in 
when  no  one  is  looking.  Did  you  ever  play 
a  game  of  billiards?  " 

"  I  never  played  over  half  a  dozen  games  in 
my  life." 

"  You  ought  to  know  how  to  play.  It  is 
a  splendid  game.  Come  in." 

Mark  did  not  make  very  strong  opposition, 
and  the  two  boys,  first  looking  cautiously  in 
different  directions,  entered  the  saloon. 

Toward  the  entrance  was  the  bar,  and  in  the 
rear  of  the  saloon  were  two  tables. 

"Won't  you  have  a  drink,  Mark?"  asked 
James. 

Mark  hesitated. 

"  Oh,  come  now,  it  won't  hurt.  Two  glasses 
of  whisky,-  John." 

"  All  right,  Mr.  Carson,"  said  the  barkeeper, 
to  whom  James  was  well  known. 

James  tossed  off  his  glass  with  the  air  of  an 
old  drinker,  but  Mark  drank  his  more  slowly. 

"  There,  I  know  you  feel  better,  Mark." 

"  Now,  John,  give  me  the  balls.  We'll  play 
a  game  of  billiards." 

"  All  right,  sir." 

"  I'll  discount  you,  Mark,"  said  James,  "  to 
give  you  a  fair  chance.  It  is  about  the  same 
thing  as  giving  you  half  the  game.  Or,  if  you 
like,  I  will  give  you  seventeen  points  to  start 
with,  and  then  you  will  only  have  seventeen 
to  make,  while  I  am  making  thirty-four." 

"  I  like  that  best." 


86  Making  His  Way. 

"  Now  shall  we  play  for  the  drinks?  " 

"  We  have  just  had  a  drink." 

"  We'll  have  another." 

"  Won't  that  be  too  much?  I  don't  want  to 
get  drunk." 

"  Two  drinks  won't  do  you  any  harm.  Very 
well.  Now  let  us  string  for  the  lead." 

There  is  no  need  of  describing  the  game  in 
detail.  Mark  was  only  a  novice,  while  James 
could  really  make  three  or  four  points  to  his 
one.  He  restrained  himself,  however,  so  that 
he  only  beat  Mark  by  two  points. 

"  You  did  splendidly,  Mark,"  he  said.  Con 
sidering  how  little  you  have  played,  you  did 
remarkably  well.  Why,  you  made  a  run  of 
three." 

"  Yes,  I  did  pretty  well,"  said  Mark,  flat 
tered  by  his  companion's  praises. 

"  I  had  hard  work  to  beat  you,  I  can  tell  you 
that.  As  it  was,  you  came  within  two  points 
of  beating.  Don't  you  like  the  game?  " 

"  Very  much." 

"  I  thought  you  would.  Shall  we  have  an 
other  game?  " 

"  I  don't  mind,"  answered  Mark. 

He  knew  that  he  ought  to  be  in  his  room 
writing  a  composition  to  be  delivered  the  next 
day,  but  such  obligations  sat  easily  upon  Mark, 
and  he  did  not  hesitate  long. 

That  time  James  allowed  him  to  score  six 
teen,  so  that  Mark  was  only  beaten  by  one 
point. 


Making  His  Way.  87 

"  You  see,  you  are  improving,"  said  James. 
"  I  played  a  better  game  that  time  than  before, 
and  still  you  came  within  one  of  beating  me." 

"I  think  I  shall  become  a  good  player  in 
time,"  said  Mark,  complacently. 

"  Yes,  and  in  a  very  short  time.  Now," 
said  James,  "  I  have  a  proposal  to  make  to 
you." 

"  What  is  it?  " 

"  We'll  bet  twenty-five  cents  on  the  next 
game,  to  give  a  little  interest  to  it." 

"  Mark  had  no  special  scruples  against  bet 
ting,  which  is  only  one  form  of  gambling,  but 
he  decidedly  objected  to  losing  money,  so  he 
answered,  cautiously : 

"  I  don't  know  about  that.  You  beat  me 
both  of  the  other  games." 

"  That's  true ;  but  you  play  better  now  than 
you  did  at  first." 

"  That  may  be  so." 

"  What  are  twenty-five  cents,  anyway?  I 
expect  to  lose  it,  but  it  will  increase  the  inter 
est  of  the  game." 

So  Mark  was  persuaded,  and  the  game  was 
played." 

James  Carson  managed  to  let  Mark  beat  him 
by  five  shots,  and  the  latter  was  correspond 
ingly  elated. 

"  You  beat  me  after  all,"  said  James,  pre 
tending  to  be  much  disappointed,  "  and  by  five 
points.     I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do — I'll  give  you 
the  same  odds,  and  bet  a  dollar  on  the  next    / 
I  suppose  it's  foolish,  but  I'll  risk  it !  "  f 


88  Making  His  Way. 

"  Done !  "  said  Mark,  eagerly. 

His  cupidity  was  excited,  and  he  felt  sure 
of  winning  the  dollar,  as  he  had  the  twenty- 
five  cents.  But  James  had  no  idea  of  playing 
off  now,  and  he  played  a  better  game,  as  he  was 
well  able  to  do.  The  result  was  that  Mark 
was  beaten  by  three  points. 

He  looked  quite  crestfallen. 

"  I  had  better  shows  than  you,"  said  James. 
"  I  couldn't  do  it  once  in  five  times.  Will  you 
play  again?" 

Mark  agreed  to  it  with  some  hesitation,  and 
he  was  again  beaten. 

"  You  had  luck  against  you.  Another  day 
you  will  succeed  better.  Have  you  played 
enough?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Mark,  annoyed. 

He  had  four  games  to  pay  for  and  two  dol 
lars  in  bets,  and  it  made  rather  an  expensive 
afternoon. 

"  Have  another  drink?  I'll  treat,"  said 
James,  who  could  afford  to  be  liberal. 

Mark  accepted,  and  then,  flushed  and  ex 
cited,  he  left  the  saloon,  just  as  Frank  came 
up,  as  described  in  the  first  part  of  the  chapter. 
On  the  whole,  he  was  sorry  to  meet  his  step 
brother  just  at  this  time. 

Frank  stopped,  and  his  attention  was  drawn 
to  Mark's  flushed  face. 


Making  His  Way.  89 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

MARK   GETS  INTO  TROUBLE. 

MARK  nodded  slightly  and  was  about  to  pass 
without  a  word,  when  Frank  said,  quietly : 

"  I  am  sorry  to  see  you  coming  out  of  such 
a  place,  Mark." 

"What  is  it  to  you,  anyway?"  returned 
Mark,  rudely. 

"  Not  much,  perhaps,"  replied  Frank, 
calmly,  "  but  I  don't  like  to  see  my  acquaint 
ances  coming  out  of  a  liquor  saloon." 

"  It  won't  hurt  you,"  said  Mark,  irritably. 

"No,  it  won't  hurt  me,  but  if  the  principal 
should  hear  of  it,  it  would  not  be  pleasant  for 
you.  You  know  students  are  strictly  forbid 
den  to  enter  any  saloon?  " 

"  I  suppose  you  mean  to  tell  of  me,"  said 
Mark,  hastily,  and  not  altogether  without  un 
easiness. 

"  You  are  mistaken.     I  am  not  a  talebearer." 

"  Then  there  is  no  need  to  say  any  more 
about  it.  Come  along,  James !  " 

Frank's  interference  was  well  meant,  but, 
as  we  shall  see,  it  did  "harm  rather  than  good. 

As  Mark  left  the  saloon,  he  had  half  decided 
not  to  enter  it  again.  He  was  three  dollars 
out  of  pocket,  and  this  did  not  suit  him  at  all. 

In  fact,  Mark  was  rather  a  mean  boy,  and 
it  was  with  considerable  reluctance  that  he  had 
handed  over  to  his  companion  the  two  dollars 
with  which  to  pay  for  the  games. 


Qo  Making  His  Way. 

Moreover,  he  was  mortified  at  losiog  the  two 
games  of  billiards,  when  so  great  odds  had 
been  given  him. 

James  Carson  was  no  scholar,  but  he  was 
sharp  enough  to  perceive  the  state  of  Mark's 
feelings,  and  he  also  saw  how  he  was  affected 
by  Frank's  remonstrance. 

He  decided  to  take  advantage  of  this,  and 
strengthen  his  hold  on  Mark. 

"  Well,  Mark,"  he  said,  "  I  suppose  you'll 
give  up  playing  billiards  now." 

"Why  should  I?" 

"  Because  your  stepbrother  doesn't  approve 
of  it.  You  won't  dare  to  go  into  the  saloon 
after  he  has  forbidden  you,"  he  continued, 
with  a  sneer. 

^•"  Wliat  do  you  mean,  James?  Do  you  sup 
pose  I  care  that " — snapping  his  fingers — 
"  for  what  Frank  says,  or  even  thinks,  either?  " 

"  I  didn't  know  but  you  might  stand  in  fear 
of  him." 

"Do  you  mean  to  insult  me?"  demanded 
Mark,  hotly. 

"  Insult  you !  My  dear  friend,  what  can 
you  be  thinking  of?  Why,  I  like  you  ten  times 
as  much  as  that  muff,  Frank  Courtney," 

"  Then  what  did  you  mean  by  what  you 
said?"  asked  Mark,  more  calmly. 

"  I  will  tell  you.  I  got  an  idea,  from  what 
Frank  said  once,  that  he  was  in  charge  of  you 
—well,  not  exactly  that,  but  that  he  looked 
after  you." 


Making  His  Way.  91 

This  was  a  wicked  falsehood,  as  Frank  had 
never  intimated  any  such  thing.  In  fact,  he 
had  generally  kept  quite  aloof  from  James. 

Mark,  however,  fell  into  the  trap,  and  never 
thought  of  doubting  what  his  companion  said. 

"  If  Frank  said  that,  I've  a  great  mind  to 
whip  him,"  said  Mark,  angrily. 

"  Oh,  I  wouldn't  notice  him,  if  I  were  you !  " 
said  James.  "  For  my  part,  I  didn't  believe 
what  he  said.  I  felt  sure  that  a  fine,  spirited 
boy  like  you  wouldn't  submit  to  his  dictation." 

"  I  should  say  not — the  impudent  fellow !  " 

"  When  he  spoke  to  you  just  now,"  contin 
ued  James,  "  one  would  really  have  thought 
he  was  your  uncle,  or  guardian,  and  that  you 
were  a  little  boy."  gr 

"  I'll  show  him  what  I  think  of  him  and  h 
advice.     I  hadn't  thought  of  going  to  the  sa 
loon  to-morrow,  but  now  I  will." 

"  Bravo !  I  like  your  spirit !  "  said  James, 
admiringly.  It  is  just  the  way  to  treat  him. 
Shall  I  come  round  with  you  about  the  same 
hour  as  to-day?  " 

"  Yes,  I  wish  you  would." 

When  the  two  boys  parted  company,  James 
Carson  smiled  to  himself. 

"  What  a  fool  Mark  is !  "  he  thought.  "  He 
thinks  he  is  his  own  master,  but  I  am  going  to 
twist  him  round  my  little  finger.  He's  a 
sweet  youth,  but  he's  got  money,  and  I  mean 
to  have  some  of  it.  Why,  he  tells  me  his  father 
allows  him  eight  dollars  a  week  for  spending 


92  Making  His  Way. 

money.  If  I  manage  well,  I  can  get  more  than 
half  away  from  him  in  bets." 

The  next  day  James  called  for  Mark,  as 
agreed  upon,  and  again  the  two  boys  went  to 
the  billiard  saloon.  The  performance  of  the 
day  before  was  repeated. 

James  Carson,  while  flattering  Mark's  poor 
play,  managed  to  beat  in  every  game  but  one 
on  which  money  was  staked,  and  came  out  the 
richer  by  a  dollar  and  a  half. 

"  I  am  very  unlucky,"  grumbled  Mark,  in 
a  tone  of  dissatisfaction. 

"  So  you  were,  Mark,"  admitted  his  sym 
pathizing  friend.  "  You  made  some  capital 
shots,  though,  and  if  I  hadn't  been  so  lucky, 
you  would  have  come  out  the  victor  in  every 
game." 

"But   I   didn't." 

"  No,  you  didn't ;  but  you  can't  have  such 
beastly  luck  all  the  time." 

"  I  guess  I'd  better  give  up  billiards.  In 
two  days  I  have  spent  five  dollars.  It  doesn't 
pay." 

"  No  doubt  Frank  will  be  gratified  when  he 
hears  that  you  have  given  up  playing.  He 
will  think  it  is  because  you  are  afraid  of  him." 

James  had  touched  the  right  cord,  and  poor 
Mark  was  once  more  in  his  toils. 

"  It's  lucky  for  me  that  Frank  spoke  to  him," 
thought  James.  "  It  makes  it  much  easier  for 
me  to  manage  him." 

One  thing,  however,  James  had  not  taken 


Making  His  Way.  93 

into  account.  There  were  others  besides 
Frank  who  were  liable  to  interfere  with  his 
management,  and  who  had  the  authority  to 
make  their  interference  effectual. 

On  the  day  succeeding,  as  James  and  Mark 
were  in  the  campus,  Herbert  Grant  approached 
them. 

Now  Herbert  was  the  janitor  of  the  academy. 
He  also  was  employed  by  the  principal  to  sum 
mon  students  who  had  incurred  censure  to 
his  study,  where  they  received  a  suitable  repri 
mand. 

It  was  not  a  pleasant  duty,  but  some  one 
must  do  it,  and  Herbert  always  discharged  it 
in  a  gentlemanly  manner,  which  could  not,  or 
ought  not,  to  offend  the  school-fellows  who 
were  unlucky  enough  to  receive  a  summons. 

"  Boys,"  said  he,  "  I  am  sorry  to  be  the 
bearer  of  unpleasant  news,  but  Dr.  Brush 
would  like  to  see  you  in  his  study." 

"  Both  of  us?  "  asked  James. 

"  Yes." 

"  Are  there  any  others  summoned?  " 

"  No." 

Mark  and  his  companion  looked  at  each 
other  with  perturbed  glances.  No  one  cared 
to  visit  the  principal  on  such  an  errand.  Cor 
poral  punishment  was  never  resorted  to  in 
the  Bridgeville  Academy,  but  the  doctor's  dig 
nified  rebuke  was  dreaded  more  than  blows 
would  have  been  from  some  men. 

"  What  do  you  think  it  is,  James? "  said 
Mark,  uneasily. 


m  Making  His  Way. 

a  1  think  it's  the  saloon,"  answered  James, 
^n  a  low  voice. 

"  But  how  could  he  have  found  it  out?  No 
une  saw  us  go  in  or  come  out." 

The  billiard  saloon  was  at  some  distance 
from  the  academy  building,  and  for  that  rea 
son  the  two  boys  had  felt  more  secure  in  visit 
ing  it. 

"  I'll  tell  you  how  it  came  out,"  said  James, 
suddenly. 

"How?"  asked  Mark. 

"  You  remember  Frank  saw  us  coming  out 
day  before  yesterday." 

"  He  said  he  wouldn't  tell." 

"  I  know  he  said  so.,  but  it  was  too  good  an 
opportunity  for  him  to  gratify  his  spite  against 
you.  You  may  depend  upon  it,  Mark,  that  we 
are  indebted  for  this  little  favor  to  your  kind 
stepbrother." 

It  was  not  very  difficult  for  Mark  to  believe 
anything  against  Frank,  and  he  instantly 
adopted  his  companion's  idea. 

"  The  mean  sneak !  "  he  said.  "  I'll  come  up 
with  him !  I'll  tell  my  father  not  to  give  him 
any  money  for  the  next  month.  I'll — I'll  get 
him  to  apprentice  Frank  to  a  shoemaker! 
Perhaps  then  he  won't  put  on  so  many  airs." 

"  Good  for  you !  I  admire  your  pluck !  " 
said  James,  slapping  Mark  on  the  back. 
"  You  are  true  grit,  you  are !  Just  teach  the 
fellow  a  lesson." 

"See  if  I  don't!" 


Making  His  Way.  95 

Mark  nodded  his  head  resolutely,  and  went 
into  the  presence  of  Dr.  Brush,  thirsting  for 
vengeance  against  his  stepbrother,  who,  he  felt 
persuaded,  had  informed  against  him. 

If  Frank  had  known  his  suspicions  he 
would  have  been  very  much  surprised.  As 
it  happened,  however,  he  did  not  even  know 
that  his  stepbrother  had  been  summoned  to 
the  doctor's  study.  Had  he  met  Herbert,  the 
latter  would  have  told  him;  but  after  receiv 
ing  his  list,  it  so  chanced  that  he  and  his  friend 
did  not  meet. 

The  fact  was  that  a  young  man  employed 
as  tutor  in  mathematics  in  the  academy,  while 
taking  an  afternoon  walk,  had  seen  Mark  and 
James  Carson  leaving  the  liquor  saloon,  and, 
as  in  duty  bound,  had  reported  the  same  to  the 
principal. 

Mr.  Triangle,  however,  had  not  been  ob 
served  by  either  of  the  two  boys,  and  therefore 
they  were  led  off  on  a  false  scent. 

"  What  do  you  think  the  old  man  will  say?  " 
asked  Mark,  uneasily,  as  they  ascended  the 
stairs  to  the  principal's  study. 

"  He'll  give  us  a  raking  dowrn,  I  suppose," 
said  James.  "  He  will  come  down  heavy  on 
us." 

"  I  wish  I  were  out  of  it." 

"  Oh,  it's  not  worthy  minding!  We  haven't 
committed  murder,  have  we?  What's  the 
harm  in  a  game  of  billiards?  " 

"  Not  much,  perhaps ;  but  the  drinking  and 
betting  are  certainly  objectionable." 


g6  Making  His  Way. 

The  boys  knocked  at  the  door,  and  the  full, 
deep  voice  of  Dr.  Brush  was  heard  to  say: 
"  Come  in !  " 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

SUSPENDED. 

DR.  BRUSH  was  seated  at  a  table  covered 
with  papers,  in  a  large  armchair.  He  was  an 
elderly  man  of  dignified  presence,  not  a  petty 
tyrant  such  as  is  sometimes  found  in  a  similar 
position,  but  a  man  who  commanded  respect 
without  an  effort. 

Mark  Manning  and  James  Carson  entered 
his  presence  a  little  nervously. 

"  Young  gentlemen,"  said  the  doctor, 
gravely,  "  I  am  informed  that  you  have  vio 
lated  one  of  the  rules  of  the  academy  by  fre 
quenting  a  billiard  saloon  where  liquor  is 
sold." 

"  Who  told  you,  sir?  "  asked  Mark. 

"  That  is  not  to  the  purpose,"  said  the  prin 
cipal,  gravely. 

"  But  I  should  like  to  know  who  informed  on 
me,"  persisted  Mark. 

"  Whoever  did  so  acted  as  your  true  friend, 
Maiming;  but  there  is  no  occasion  for  you  to 
know  who  it  was.  Is  it  true? " 

Mark  would  have  been  glad  to  deny  the 
charge,  and  would  not  have  felt  any  scruples 
about  doing  so,  if  it  would  have  done  any  good. 


Making  His  Way.  97 

But  it  was  clear,  even  to  him,  that  he  would 
not  be  believed,  and  that  denial  would  only 
make  his  position  \vorse.  So  he  made  a  virtue 
of  necessity,  and  answered: 

"  I  have  been  in  once  or  twice,  sir." 

"  Exactly  how  many  times  have  you  been  to 
the  saloon?  " 

"  Three  times." 

"  What  did  you  do  there?  " 

"  We  played  billiards." 

"  Did  you  order  anything  at  the  bar?  " 

"  Yes,  sir/7  said  Mark,  reluctantly. 

"  Carson,  you  accompanied  Manning,  did 
you  not?  "  said  Dr.  Brush,  turning  to  Mark's 
companion. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  And  I  suppose  you  also  played  billiards 
and  drank?  " 

"  Well,  yes,  sir,  I  believe  I  did." 

"  You  were  aware,  were  you  not,  that  it  was 
against  the  regulations  of  the  school?  " 

"  I  suppose  it  must  have  slipped  my  mind," 
answered  James,  trying  to  look  as  innocent  as 
possible. 

Dr.  Brush  frowned,  for  he  saw  clearly  that 
this  was  but  a  subterfuge. 

"  If  this  were  true,"  he  continued,  "  it  would 
be  no  excuse.  As  students,  it  is  your  duty  to 
make  yourselves  acquainted  with  the  rules  that 
govern  the  institution.  In  point  of  fact,  I  can 
not  believe  that  either  of  you  is  ignorant  of  the 
rule  forbidding  students  to  frequent  places 


98  Making  His  Way. 

where  liquor  is  sold.  It  is  hardly  necessary 
for  me  to  defend  the  propriety  of  the  rule.  In 
temperance  is  a  fruitful  source  of  vice  and 
crime,  and  I  cannot  allow  the  youth  under  my 
charge  to  form  habits  of  indulgence  which  may 
blast  all  their  prospects,  and  lead  to  the  most 
ruinous  consequences." 

"  We  didn't  drink  much,"  said  Mark. 

"  I  shall  not  inquire  how  much  you  drank. 
In  drinking  a  single  glass,  you  violated  the 
rule  of  the  "school,  and  I  cannot  pass  over  it." 

"  What  is  he  going  to  do  with  us,  I 
wonder?  "  thought  Mark. 

He  was  not  required  to  wonder  long. 

"  As  this  is  your  first  offense,  so  far  as  I 
know,"  proceeded  the  principal,  "  I  will  not  be 
severe.  You  are  both  suspended  from  the  in 
stitution  for  the  remainder  of  the  term,  and 
are  required  to  leave  Bridgeville  by  the  early 
train  to-morrow  morning  for  your  respective 
homes.  I  shall  write  to  your  parents,  explain 
ing  the  cause  of  your  suspension." 

But  a  week  remained  of  the  term,  and  the 
punishment  was  mild,  but  both  boys  were 
mortified  and  left  the  study  crestfallen. 

Mark  was  the  first  to  recover  his  spirits. 

"  It  is  not  so  bad,  James,"  he  said.  "  To 
morrow  will  be  Saturday,  and  I  should  go 
home,  anyway.  I  don't  mind  staying  at  home 
next  week." 

"  What  will  your  father  say?  " 

"Oh?  I'll  make  it  all  right  with  him!    I 


Making  His  Way.  99 

don't  mind  much  what  he  says.  I  guess  he 
got  into  scrapes  himself  when  he  was  a  boy." 

"  My  father  isn't  so  easily  managed.  Just 
as  likely  as  not,  he'll  cut  off  my  allowance  for 
a  month ;  and  that'll  be  no  joke ! " 

"  My  father  won't  do  that,"  said  Mark.  "  If 
he  did,  I  would  raise  a  fuss." 

"  Would  that  do  any  good?  " 

"  I'll  bet  it  would  !  " 

"  Mark,  you  are  a  true  friend  of  mine,  aren't 
you?"  asked  James. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mark,  but  not  very  warmly. 

"  Of  course,  I  know  you  are,  and  you  will  do 
me  a  favor,  won't  you?" 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Mark,  cautiously. 

"  Lend  me  five  dollars  till  the  beginning  of 
next  term." 

"  I  haven't  got  the  money,  Carson.  You 
know  how  much  I  have  lost  in  the  last  two 
or  three  days.  "  I've  hardly  got  money  enough 
to  take  me  home." 

"  Can't  you  borrow  it  of  Frank  for  me?  " 

"  Ask  him  yourself.  I  am  not  going  to  ask 
a  favor  of  the  boy  who  reported  me." 

"  You'll  have  money  when  you  get  home, 
won't  you?  " 

"  I  suppose  so." 

"  Then  just  send  me  a  five-dollar  bill  in  a 
letter.  The  old  man  will  cut  off  my  allowance 
during  vacation,  and  it  will  do  me  no  end  of 
good." 

If  he  had  known  Mark  a  little  better,  he 


ioo  Making  His  Way. 

would  have  spared  himself  the  trouble  of  ask 
ing  a  loan. 

"  You  must  excuse  me,"  said  Mark,  coldly. 
"  I  am  saving  my  money  for  a  particular  pur 
pose,  and  can't  spare  five  dollars." 

"  I  would  pay  you  back  at  the  beginning  of 
the  term." 

"  No,  I  can't  do  it,"  said  Mark,  looking  an 
noyed.  "  Stay !  There  is  Frank,  just  across 
the  campus.  I  am  going  over  to  charge  him 
with  betraying  us." 

Frank,  who  was  quite  ignorant  of  Mark's 
trouble,  was  surprised  when  the  latter  ap 
proached  him  with  a  frown  and  said,  harshly : 

"  You  won't  make  anything  by  what  you 
have  done,  Frank  Courtney !  " 

"  Will  you  be  kind  enough  to  tell  me  what 
I  have  done?  "  asked  Frank,  calmly. 

"  You've  been  to  Dr.  Brush  and  told  him 
about  our  playing  billiards." 

"  You  are  entirely  mistaken,  Mark.  I  did 
not  suppose  he  knew." 

"  It  must  have  been  you.  He  told  us  some 
one  had  informed  him,  and  you  were  the  only 
one  who  knew.  It's  a  mean  trick,  isn't  if, 
Carson?" 

"  Awfully  mean !  " 

"  I  have  already  told  you  that  the  informa 
tion  did  not  come  from  me.  It  may  be  the 
best  thing  for  you  that  it  has  been  found  out, 
for  it  was  doing  you  no  good  to  frequent 
such  places." 


Making  His  Way.  101 

"  I  don't  want  to  hear  any  of  your  preach 
ing,  Frank  Courtney.  I  guess  I  can  manage 
my  own  affairs  without  any  advice  from  you." 

"  I  don't  care  to  intrude  any  advice,"  said 
Frank.  "  I  have  not  much  reason  to  feel  inter 
ested  in  you." 

"  You'd  better  look  out  how  you  treat  me, 
though,"  said  Mark,  insolently.  "  I  know  very 
well  you  dislike  me,  but  it  won't  be  safe  for 
you  to  show  it  while  you  are  a  dependent  on 
my  father." 

"  I  don't  propose  to  be  a  dependent  on  him 
long,"  said  Frank,  quietly.  "  The  truth  of  it 
is,  you  and  your  father  are  dependent  upon 
property  which  of  right  belongs  to  me.  The 
time  may  come  when  I  shall  be  able  to  show 
this." 

"  What  does  he  mean?  "  thought  Mark,  un 
easily.  "  Will  he  contest  the  will?  " 

It  was  perhaps  an  evidence  of  Mark's 
shrewdness  that  he  had  some  doubts  about  the 
validity  of  the  will  under  which  his  father  in 
herited. 

It  was  possible  that  his  stepmother  might 
have  made  the  will  through  the  influence  of 
her  husband ;  but,  devoted  as  she  was  to  Frank, 
and  generally  a  clear-sighted  woman  in  mat 
ters  of  business,  it  did  not  seem  very  probable. 

"  There's  been  some  trickery,"  thought  Mark, 
"  and  my  father  knows  what  it  is.  However, 
that's  his  affair,  not  mine,  and  I  am  glad  that 
he  has  got  the  property.  I  shall  fare  better, 


102  Making  His  Way. 

at  any  rate,  and  if  there's  any  fuss  made,  they 
can't  say  anything  against  me." 

It  was  important  that  Frank  should  be  pre 
vented  from  doing  anything  that  might  lead 
to  an  investigation  which  might  develop  facts 
better  left  in  secret. 

Mark  did  not  reply  to  Frank's  last  words, 
but  walked  away  with  James  Carson. 

The  latter,  however,  soon  made  an  excuse 
for  leaving  Mark,  from  whom  he  had  no  more 
to  hope,  and  he  went  back  to  find  Frank. 

Our  hero  regarded  him  wTith  some  surprise, 
and  waited  for  him  to  speak. 

With  an  assumption  of  frankness,  Carson 
said: 

"  I  want  to  tell  you,  Frank,  that  I  don't  be 
lieve  with  Mark  that  you  informed  against 
us." 

"  You  do  no  more  than  justice,"  said  Frank. 

"  Of  course  you  know  that  Mark  is  preju 
diced  against  you." 

"  I  suppose  he  is." 

"  And  that  makes  him  ready  to  suspect  you 
of  anything.  Dr.  Brush  has  suspended  us  for 
the  remainder  of  the  term." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it." 

"  Oh,  it  won't  matter  much !  It's  only  a 
week,  you  know.  But  there  is  one  little  incon 
venience  to  me.  I  have  spent  so  much  money 
lately  that  I  have  hardly  funds  enough  to  carry 
me  home." 

Frank  didn't  like  James  Carson,  but  he  was 
of  a  generous  and  helpful  disposition. 


Making  His  Way.  103 

"  Can  I  be  of  any  service  to  you?  "  he  asked. 

"  If  you  could  lend  me  five  dollars  till  the 
beginning  of  next  term,  it  would  be  a  great 
help." 

Frank  drew  a  five-dollar  bill  from  his  pocket- 
book,  and  handed  it  to  James. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  the  latter,  joyfully.  "  I'll 
be  sure  to  return  it." 

"  I  didn't  think  it  would  be  so  easy,"  he 
chuckled,  as  he  walked  away.  "  With  the  ten 
dollars  in  niy  purse,  part  of  it  won  from  Mark, 
and  this  money,  I  am  in  funds.  Mark's  a  mean 
fellow.  I  wish  I  could  have  made  more  out  of 
him." 


CHAPTER  XV. 
MR.  MANNING'S  NEW  PLAN. 

MARK  so  represented  his  school  difficulty  to 
his  father  that  he  incurred  but  slight  censure. 

Indeed,  Mr.  Manning  was  so  absorbed  in 
plans  for  getting  the  greatest  enjoyment  out 
of  the  estate  of  which  he  had  obtained  posses 
sion  by  doubtful  means  that  he  didn't  care  to 
be  disturbed  about  such  a  trifle  as  his  son's 
suspension. 

He  felt  more  disposed -to  blame  Frank,  whom 
Mark  charged  with  betraying  him. 

"  What  does  Frank  say  about  it?  "  asked  Mr. 
Manning. 

"  Of  course  he  denies  it/'  said  Mark,  "  but  it 
can't  be  any  one  else." 


104  Making  His  Way. 

"  He  is  acting  very  unwisely,"  said  Mr.  Man 
ning,  compressing  his  thin  lips. 

"  So  I  told  him,  but  he  said  he  didn't  mean 
to  be  a  dependent  on  you  long." 

"  How  is  he  going  to  avoid  it?  " 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  I  have  had  some  intimation  from  Col.  Vin 
cent,  who  appears  to  be  in  his  confidence.  He 
wants  to  leave  us." 

"Togo  a  way?" 

"  Yes." 

"But  you  won't  let  him?" 

"  I  have  been  thinking  about  that,  Mark,  and 
I  may  give  my  permission.  The  fact  is,  he 
stands  in  the  way  of  some  plans  I  have  formed. 
I  am  thinking  of  traveling." 

"  Not  without  me?  "  said  Mark,  hastily. 

"  No ;  you  shall  go  with  me,  but  I  don't  care 
to  take  Frank." 

"  You  might  leave  him  at  school." 

"  I  might,  but  how  do  I  know  that  he  might 
not  hatch  some  mischief  while  we  are  gone?  " 

"  He  might  make  some  fuss  about  the  prop 
erty,"  suggested  Mark. 

"  Has  he  hinted  anything  of  that  kind  to 
you?"  asked  his  father,  quickly. 

"  Yes.  Only  yesterday  he  said  that  the  prop 
erty  belonged  by  right  to  him." 

Mr.  Manning  looked  thoughtful,  and 
watched  Mark  narrowly  to  see  if  from  his  man 
ner  he  could  divine  the  boy's  intentions. 

Later  that  same  evening,  Mark  having  re- 


Making  His  Way.  105 

tired  early  in  consequence  of  a  headache, 
Frank  found  himself  alone  with  his  stepfather, 
and  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  speak 
of  the  plan  he  had  formed. 

"  Mr.  Manning,"  he  said,  "  if  you  are  at 
leisure,  I  should  like  to  speak  with  you  a  few 
minutes.'7 

"  Proceed,"  said  his  stepfather,  waving  his 
hand. 

"  But  a  week  remains  of  the  school  term. 
Did  you  propose  that  I  should  return  there  at 
the  end  of  the  vacation?  " 

"  Humph !  I  had  not  thought  much  on  the 
subject." 

"  It  has  all  along  been  intended  that  I  should 
go  to  college  when  prepared,  but  I  don't  think 
I  care  much  about  it." 

"  In  that  case,"  said  his  stepfather,  with 
alacrity,  "  you  would  only  be  throwing  away 
time  and  money  by  going." 

He  was  quite  ready  to  agree  to  Frank's  sur 
render  of  the  college  plan  for  two  reasons. 

A  college  course  would  be  expensive.  Again, 
should  he  turn  his  attention  to  the  law,  he 
might  hereafter  give  him  trouble  about  the 
estate. 

"  I  don't  think  I  should  throw  away  my 
time,  for,  if  I  went  to  college,  I  should  go  there 
to  work  faithfully;  but  I  have  a  fancy  for  a 
more  stirring  life." 

"  It  might  be  a  good  plan  for  you  to  learn  a 
trade,"  said  Mr.  Manning,  reflectively. 


106  Making  His  Way. 

"  Learn  a  trade !  "  exclaimed  Frank,  in  sur 
prise. 

"  Yes;  it  would  always  enable  you  to  earn  a 
living." 

"Do  you  intend  Mark  to  learn  a  trade?" 
asked  Frank,  quickly. 

"  No;  his  case  is  very  different  from  yours." 

"Why  is  it  different?" 

"  It  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  explain,"  an 
swered  his  stepfather,  stiffly. 

"  If  there  were  any  need  of  it,  Mr.  Manning, 
I  would  not  object  to  learn  a  trade,"  said 
Frank.  "  I  have  no  false  pride  on  the  subject. 
But  my  tastes  are  more  for  mercantile  busi 
ness." 

"  I  may  be  able  to  find  you  a  place  some 
where.  I  have  a  friend  in  the  dry-goods  busi 
ness,  who  would  receive  you  at  my  recommen 
dation." 

"Thank  you!"  said  Frank,  hastily.  "But 
if  you  will  allow  me,  I  would  prefer  to  look 
around  for  myself." 

"  What  is  it  you  want,  then?  " 

"  Your  permission  to  go  out  into  the  world, 
and  try  to  make  a  living." 

"  And  if  you  don't,"  said  Mr.  Manning,  "  I 
suppose  you  expect  me  to  defray  your  ex 
penses?  " 

"  If  I  did  have  such  an  expectation,  I  think 
I  should  be  justified,  in  view  of  the  large  prop 
erty  which  my  mother  left,"  said  Frank,  point 
edly. 


Making  His  Way.  lc>7 

"  She  left  it  to  me,"  said  his  stepfather. 

"  So  it  appears,  at  any  rate.  But  I  shall  not 
call  upon  you  to  pay  my  board.  Give  me  your 
permission  to  go  where  I  please,  with  a  small 
sum  of  money  to  start  me,  and  I  shall  be  satis 
fied." 

"And  what  will  the  world  say?  That  I, 
your  stepfather,  to  whom  you  have  a  right  to 
look  for  maintenance,  had  driven  you  out  to 
earn  your  own  living !  It  would  be  unjust,  of 
course,  but  the  world  is  ever  unjust." 

And  Mr.  Manning  assumed  a  look  of 
wronged  innocence,  wThich  would  have  imposed 
on  any  one  who  knew  him  but  slightly. 

"  I  shall  defend  you  from  any  such  charge," 
said  Frank.  "  I  shall  say  that  you  were  only 
yielding  to  my  request." 

"  I  will  think  of  it,  my  dear  boy,"  said  Mr. 
Manning,  graciously.  "  I  already  feel  inclined 
to  grant  it,  because  it  is  your  request.  I  shall 
be  sorry  to  be  separated  from  you;  but  I  am 
willing  to  sacrifice  my  own  feelings,  if  it  will 
give  you  pleasure." 

This  did  not  impose  upon  Frank,  who  had  a 
correct  idea  of  the  degree  of  fondness  which 
Mr.  Manning  had  for  his  society,  but  he  was 
too  well  satisfied  with  the  prospect  of  obtain 
ing  the  permission  he  desired  to  imply  any 
doubts. 

"  Again,"  continued  his  stepfather,  "  What 
ever  you  may  say  to  the  contrary,  I  know  that 
the  world  will  censure  me ;  but  I  shall  have  the 


io8  Making  His  Way. 

approval  of  my  own  conscience,  and  with  that 
I  can  defy  the  world." 

Mr.  Manning  certainly  did  look  like  a  right 
eous  man  when  he  said  this,  and  he  beamed 
upon  his  stepson  with  a  glance  that  was  actu 
ally  affectionate. 

"  Go  back  to  school,"  he  said,  "  and  when 
you  return  I  shall  be  able  to  give  you  a  definite 
answer." 

Indeed,  nothing  could  have  suited  Mr.  Man 
ning's  plans  better.  He  would  get  rid  of  the 
care  and  nearly  the  whole  expense  of  his  ob 
noxious  stepson,  while  with  his  son  Mark  he 
would  be  spending  the  revenues  of  the  estate 
which  belonged  to  Frank. 

During  the  coming  week  he  arranged  his 
plans  for  a  prolonged  absence  from  the  Ced 
ars.  He  wrote  to  New  York  to  engage  passage 
on  a  steamer  bound  for  Liverpool,  and  quietly 
waited  for  the  end  of  Frank's  school  term  to 
release  him  from  a  care  which  had  grown  bur 
densome. 

Frank  returned  to  the  Bridgeville  Academy 
without  Mark.  As  may  be  supposed,  however, 
he  did  not  feel  the  loss  of  his  society. 

He  at  once  communicated  to  his  chosen 
friend,  Herbert  Grant,  his  probable  departure 
from  school. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it,  Frank,"  said  Her 
bert,  soberly.  "  Do  you  think  you  are  acting 
wisely?" 

"  I  am  not  acting  as  I  would  have  done  had 


Making  His  Way.  109 

my  mother  lived,"  answered  Frank ;  "  but  you 
must  remember  that  my  position  in  life  has 
very  much  changed.  I  am  a  poor  boy." 

"  Hardly  that,  when  there  is  so  much  prop 
erty  in  the  family." 

"  I  know  Mr.  Manning  too  well  to  believe 
that  I  shall  derive  much  benefit  from  it.  No, 
Herbert,  I  have  my  own  living  to  make,  and  I 
want  to  make  it  in  my  owrn  way." 

"  It  is  a  sad  change  for  you,  Frank." 

"  No,  I  can't  say  that.  I  don't  know  how  it 
is,  Herbert,  but  I  am  rather  glad  to  have  all 
this  thrown  upon  me.  I  enjoy  feeling  that  I 
have  got  to  work." 

"  I  have  a  chance  of  enjoying  the  same  feel 
ings,"  said  Herbert,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  wish  we  could  start  together,  Herbert. 
Couldn't  you  go  with  me?  " 

Herbert  shook  his  head. 

"  Father  has  a  plan  for  me,"  he  said.  "  I 
am  to  learn  his  trade,  and  shall  commence 
next  week.  I  don't  particularly  like  it,  but  it 
is  well  to  have  a  trade  to  fall  back  upon." 

"  Mr.  Manning  wanted  me  to  learn  a  trade." 

"  There  is  no  occasion  for  your  doing  so." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that.  If  I  had  a  par 
ticular  fancy  for  any,  I  wouldn't  mind  choos 
ing  it,  but  I  am  better  suited  for  something 
else." 

"What  is  your  plan?  What  will  you  do 
first?  " 

"  My  father  has  a  cousin  in  the  city  of  New- 


no  Making  His  Way. 

ark,  New  Jersey,  only  a  few  miles  from  New 
York.  Four  years  ago,  he  and  his  family  made 
us  a  visit,  and  he  was  urgent  then  that  we 
should  return  the  visit.  I  will,  first  of  all,  go 
to  him,  and  ask  his  advice.  He  is  a  business 
man,  and  he  may  be  able  to  put  me  in  the  way 
of  obtaining  a  position." 

"  I  think  you  will  succeed,  Frank,  but  it  will 
be  harder  than  you  think  for.  You  don't  know 
what  poverty  is  yet.  I  have  never  known  any 
thing  else." 

"  If  you  do  succeed,  Herbert,  I  may  be  able 
to  find  something  for  you." 

"  I  wish  you  might,"  Herbert  replied ;  but 
he  was  not  as  sanguine  as  Frank. 

He  understood,  better  than  his  friend,  that 
for  a  boy  to  set  out  alone  into  the  great  world 
to  earn  a  living  is  a  serious  undertaking. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

GOOD-BY. 

Frank  had  fixed  upon  the  Tuesday  morning 
succeeding  the  close  of  the  academic  term  for 
his  departure  from  home.  Monday  was  de 
voted  to  a  few  necessary  preparations  and  a 
few  calls  on  old  friends,  among  them  Col.  Vin 
cent,  the  owner  of  Ajax. 

"  My  dear  Frank,"  said  the  colonel,  kindly, 
"  I  feel  a  strong  interest  in  your  welfare, 
more  especially  because  of  the  wrong  which  I 


Making  Mis  Way.  lit 

do  not  scruple  to  say  has  been  done  you. 
What  does  Mr.  Manning  say  to  your  plan?  " 

"  He  makes  no  objection/'  said  Frank. 

"  Suppose  he  had  done  so?" 

"  I  would  not  have  run  away.  He  is  my 
stepfather  and  guardian,  and  I  would  have  en 
dured  staying  at  home  as  well  as  I  could." 

"  There  you  are  right,  Frank.  Though  I 
have  a  poor  opinion  of  Mr.  Manning,  he  is  not 
likely  to  treat  you  in  a  manner  to  justify  your 
going  away  without  his  permission.  From 
what  I  have  heard  within  the  last  week,  I  sus 
pect  that  he  feels  relieved  to  have  you  go." 

"  What  have  you  heard,  sir?  " 

"  That  Mr.  Manning  will  shortly  sail  for 
Europe,  taking  Mark  with  him." 

Frank  was  surprised,  having  no  suspicion 
of  this. 

"  Now  are  you  not  sorry  that  you  have  de 
cided  to  go  out  into  the  world  to  earn  a  living 
when  you  might  have  seen  something  of  the 
Old  World?" 

"  Mr.  Manning  would  never  have  taken  me 
along,"  answered  Frank,  quietly,  "  nor  should 
I  have  enjoyed  traveling  with  him  and  Mark." 

"  Of  the  two,  who  would  interfere  the  more 
with  your  enjoyment?" 

"  Mark." 

"Then  you  prefer  the  father  to  the  son?" 
said  the  colonel. 

"  The  father  has  much  more  agreeable  man 
ners.  I  don't  think  Mark  could  be  agreeable 
if  he  tried." 


H2  Making  His  Way. 

Col.  Vincent  smiled. 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,  Frank,"  he  said. 
"  Now,  as  your  father's  old  friend,  I  shall  ex 
act  a  promise  from  you." 

"  What  is  it,  sir?  " 

"  You  are  going  out  into  the  world  to  earn 
your  own  living.  Boys  of  your  age  are  apt 
to  think  it  an  easy  thing.  I  have  seen  more  of 
life,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  find  it  more  diffi 
cult  than  you  suppose.  You  may  find  yourself 
in  difficulty,  possibly  in  want.  In  that  case, 
promise  to  let  me  know,  and  I  will  come  to 
your  assistance." 

"  I  will,  sir,"  answered  Frank. 

Though  he  gave  this  promise,  he  was  more 
than  half  inclined  to  question  the  truth  of  Col. 
Vincent's  remarks  as  to  the  difficulty  of  earn 
ing  a  living.  He  was  full  of  confidence,  as 
most  boys  are,  the  result  of  his  inexperience. 

To  be  sure,  his  scheme  was  not  as  Quixotic 
as  that  of  some  boys,  who  leave  good  homes, 
armed  with  revolvers,  to  hunt  for  Indians.  If 
-a  real  Indian,  in  his  wrar  paint,  should  sud 
denly  make  his  appearance,  he  would  put  to 
flight  a  hundred  of  boy  hunters. 

I  wish  it  understood,  therefore,  that  though 
Frank  had  the  permission  of  his  guardian  to 
leave  home,  and  though  he  was  better  fitted 
than  the  great  majority  of  boys  to  make  his 
way  in  the  world,  I  agree  with  Col.  Vincent 
in  considering  his  plan  a  doubtful  one,  re 
quiring  for  success  not  only  pluck  and  persist- 


Making  His  Way.  113 

ency,  but  good  health  and  good  luck.  Not 
many  boys  can  expect  an  uninterrupted  course 
of  prosperity  when  thrown  upon  their  own  ex 
ertions. 

The  time  came  for  Frank  to  say  good-by  to 
Mr.  Manning  and  Mark,  and  the  house  which 
had  been  his  home  from  infancy. 

His  stepfather  handed  him  a  small  pocket- 
book. 

"  Frank,"  he  said,  "  in  this  pocket-book  you 
will  find  twenty-five  dollars.  It  is  not  much, 
but " 

"  I  am  satisfied,  sir,"  said  Frank.  "  It  won't 
be  long  before  I  am  earning  something." 

"  I  hope  your  anticipations  may  be  realized, 
but  it  is  possible  that  you  may  require  help." 

"I  think  not,  sir."' 

"  I  will  authorize  my  banker  to  pay  you 
the  same  sum — twenty-five  dollars — every 
three  months.  Of  course,  it  is  not  enough  to 
support  you ;  but,  as  you  say  it  is  your  inten 
tion  to  procure  a  place " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  It  will  probably  be  enough  to  make  up  any 
deficiency  that  may  exist  in  your  income.  I 
am  aware  that  you  do  not  regard  me  as — as  I 
would  like  to  have  you ;  but  I  am  resigned  to 
be  misunderstood,  and  I  merely  call  your  at 
tention  to  the  fact  that  I  have  given  you  my 
free  permission  to  carry  out  your  own  plans 
and  have  given  you  more  assistance  than  you 
asked  for." 


ii4  Making  His  Way. 

"  That's  true,  sir." 

"  Should  any  one  in  your  hearing  condemn 
me  for  what  I  have  'done,  I  depend  upon  your 
defending  me." 

"  I  will  state  the  facts,  sir.  I  will  take  the 
entire  responsibility  for  anything  that  may  re 
sult  from  the  step  I  have  taken." 

Mr.  Manning  looked  well  pleased.  Things 
were  taking  the  course  he  desired,  and  for  the 
paltry  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars  a  year,  he 
was  getting  rid  of  an  obnoxious  stepson,  while 
appearing  to  confer  a  favor  upon  him. 

He  was  even  enlisting  the  boy  as  his  advo 
cate  and  defender  against  any  attacks  or  criti 
cism  from  the  world. 

"  I  will  give  you  the  name  of  my  banker  in 
New  York,"  Mr.  Manning  proceeded.  "  At 
the  end  of  each  quarter  you  may  apply  to  him 
for  the  sum  I  have  mentioned.  I  may — it  is 
not  quite  decided — I  may  make  a  journey  with 
Mark.  I  find  that  my  health  has  been  affected 
by  the  great  trial  I  have  met  with  in  the  loss 
of  my  lamented  wife,  and  the  anxiety  I  have 
naturally  suffered  on  her  account." 

As  Mr.  Manning  was  looking  unusually  well, 
his  attempt  to  look  weak  and  suffering  was  a 
failure,  and  Frank  kept  silent,  being  unable  to 
express  a  sympathy  he  did  not  feel. 

"  If,"  said  Mr.  Manning,  doubtfully,  "  you 
would  like  to  give  up  your  plan  and  travel  with 
us,  I  think  it  can  be  arranged.  You  would  be 
company  for  Mark." 


Making  His  Way.  115 

Prank  could  not  help  glancing  at  Mark,  to 
see  how  far  his  appearance  bore  out  his 
father's  statement. 

He  was  not  surprised  to  observe  that  his 
stepbrother's  brow  was  overcast  and  that  he 
looked  angrily  at  his  father,  alarmed  lest  the 
offer  should  be  accepted. 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Manning,"  said  Frank ; 
"  but  at  present  I  should  prefer  to  go  out  in 
the  world  and  see  what  I  can  do  for  myself. 
Some  day  I  hope  to  travel ;  but  I  am  young  and 
can  wait." 

Mark  looked  very  much  relieved  at  this  de 
cision.  Judging  Frank  by  himself,  he  feared 
that  it  would  be  accepted,  and  he  could  not 
help  deciding  in  his  own  mind  that  Frank  was 
a  fool  to  prefer  work  to  a  pleasant  journey. 

He  was  satisfied  that  his  father  never  would 
have  taken  Frank,  even  had  the  latter  decided 
to  accept  the  proposal,  but  it  would  have  occa 
sioned  delay,  and  Mark  was  impatient  to  get 
started  on  his  journey. 

The  Cedars  he  regarded  as  a  stupid  place, 
and  he  was  eager  to  visit  the  cities  of  Europe, 
where  he  could  find  plenty  of  amusement. 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right,  Frank,"  said  his 
stepfather,  disguising  the  satisfaction  he  felt. 
"  If,  however,  you  should  find  that  you  have 
made  a  mistake,  you  will  do  me  the  justice  to 
remember  that  I  gave  you  your  choice." 

Knowing,  as  he  did,  that  the  offer  was  not 
genuine,  Frank  remained  silent.  He  could  not 


n6  Making  His  Way. 

make  up  his  mind  to  express  gratitude,  and 
therefore  said  nothing. 

Here  the  carriage  drove  up  to  the  door  to 
convey  Frank  to  the  railway  station.  Mindful 
of  appearances,  Mr.  Manning  accompanied  him 
to  the  cars,  and  in  presence  of  several  neigh 
bors  bade  him  an  effusively  affectionate  fare 
well. 

So  Frank  was  fairly  started  on  his  cam 
paign. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

ERASTUS  TARBOX,  OF  NEWARK. 

ERASTUS  TARBOX  kept  a  dry-goods  store  in 
the  city  of  Newark,  New  Jersey.  He  was  well- 
to-do,  not  so  much  because  of  his  enterprise 
and  skill  as  a  merchant  as  because  of  his  ex 
treme  poverty.  Some  people  called  it  parsi- 
money.  He  only  employed  two  clerks  to  assist 
him  in  his  store,  and  they,  as  well  as  the  boy 
who  carried  out  the  parcels  and  ran  the  er 
rands,  were  paid  scarcely  more  than  two-thirds 
the  rates  paid  in  neighboring  stores. 

To  some  it  may  seem  strange  that  Mr.  Tar- 
box  was  able  to  obtain  assistants  at  such  low 
rates,  but  those  who  know  how  many  dry-goods 
clerks  there  always  are  seeking  employment 
will  not  need  to  wonder. 

Neither  will  it  be  a  matter  of  surprise  that 
when  Mr.  Tarbox  chanced  to  secure  a  superior 
clerk  he  was  not  able  to  keep  him  long,  for,  at 


Making  His  Way.  117 

the  first  hint  of  higher  wages,  the  employer 
exhibited  such  dissatisfaction  that  the  sales 
man  was  very  apt  to  throw  up  his  situation  in 
disgust. 

Mr.  Tarbox  prided  himself  upon  his  rela 
tionship  to  the  Courtneys.  They  were  rich, 
and  riches,  in  his  eyes,  were  a  great  merit.  He 
often  sighed  to  think  that  there  was  no  chance 
for  him  to  benefit  by  a  share  of  the  large  prop 
erty  owned  by  his  cousins.  Without  hope  of 
personal  advantage,  however,  he  had  always 
been  obsequious  to  them,  and  often  took  occa 
sion  to  mention  them,  by  way  of  enhancing  his 
own  social  credit  somewhat. 

Mr.  Tarbox  had  heard  of  Mrs.  Courtney's 
death,  but  had  not  heard  the  particulars  of  the 
will.  He  took  it  for  granted  that  Frank  was 
sole  heir,  and  it  did  cross  his  mind  more  than 
once  how  very  agreeable  it  would  be  if  he  could 
be  selected  as  guardian  of  the  rich  young  heir. 
Of  course,  he  knew  that  there  was  no  proba 
bility  of  it,  since  the  stepfather  would  undoubt 
edly  be  appointed  to  that  position. 

Mr.  Tarbox  had  just  sold  a  calico  dress  pat 
tern  to  a  poor  woman,  when  his  attention  was 
drawn  to  the  entrance  of  Frank  Courtney,  who 
entered  the  store,  valise  in  hand. 

Mr.  Tarbox  was  rather  short-sighted,  and  did 
not  immediately  recognize  the  son  of  his  rich 
cousin. 

"What  can  I  do  for  you,  young  man?"  he 
asked,  in  his  business  tone. 


n8  Making  His  Way. 

"This  is  Mr.  Tarbox,  I  believe?"  said 
Frank,  who  did  not  know  his  relatives  very 
well. 

"  Yes,  that  is  my  name." 

"  I  am  Frank  Courtney." 

"  Bless  my  soul ! "  ejaculated  Mr.  Tarbox, 
surprized  and  delighted.  "  When  did  you  ar 
rive  in  Newark  ?  " 

"  I  have  only  just  arrived." 

"  I  do  hope  you  are  going  to  make  us  a 
visit,"  said  Mr.  Tarbox,  cordially. 

"  Thank  you !  "  answered  Frank,  cheered  by 
this  warm  reception.  "  If  you  are  sure  it 
won't  inconvenience  you." 

"  Inconvenience  me !  We  shall  be  delighted 
to  have  you  with  us." 

"  I  wish,"  thought  he,  "  that  Frank  would  be 
contented  to  board  with  me.  He  can  afford 
to  pay  a  handsome  price,  and  there  would  be  a 
good  deal  of  profit  to  be  made.  I  must  try  to 
make  it  pleasant  for  him." 

"  You  are  very  kind  to  think  of  us,  my  dear 
young  relative,"  continued  Mr.  Tarbox,  rub 
bing  his  hands  in  high  good  humor.  "  Accept 
my  warmest  sympathy  in  your  great  affliction. 
I  was  deeply  grieved  to  hear  of  your  dear 
mother's  death." 

Mr.  Tarbox  was  a  remarkably  plain  man. 
He  had  a  mottled  face,  watery  eyes,  and  a  long, 
thin,  tapering  nose,  and  a  low  forehead,  par 
tially  covered  with  iron-gray  hair.  Still  he 
was  a  relation,  and  Frank's  heart  warmed  to 


Making  His  Way.  119 

him  when  he  spoke  so  feelingly  of  the  mother 
whom  he  so  much  missed. 

"  You  must  come  up  and  see  Mrs.  Tarbox. 
She  will  be  delighted  to  see  you." 

Mr.  Tarbox  lived  over  his  store.  There  was 
a  door  from  the  street  adjoining  the  shop  front. 
Mr.  Tarbox  opened  it  with  a  pass-key,  and  con 
ducted  Frank  upstairs,  ushering  him  into  a 
gloomy  parlor,  with  stiff,  straight-backed 
chairs,  ranged  at  regular  intervals  along  the 
sides  of  the  room,  and  a  marble-topped  center 
table,  with  two  or  three  books  lying  upon  it. 
There  was  a  framed  engraving,  representing 
Washington  crossing  the  Delaware,  over  the 
mantel,  and  two  plaster  figures  and  similar 
ornaments  on  the  mantelpiece.  The  whole  as 
pect  of  the  room  chilled  Frank. 

"  Wait  here,  and  I  will  call  my  wife,"  said 
Mr.  Tarbox. 

Frank  sat  down  on  a  hard  sofa  and  awaited 
the  entrance  of  Mrs.  Tarbox. 

She  came  in,  a  tall,  thin  woman,  about  as 
handsome  for  a  woman  as  her  husband  was  for 
a  man.  Indeed,  they  were  very  well  matched. 
She  was  quite  as  mean  as  he,  and  between 
them  they  managed  to  make  annually  a  sen 
sible  addition  to  their  worldly  possessions. 

Mr.  Tarbox  privately  hinted  his  hopes  re 
specting  Frank  to  his  wife,  and  she  instantly 
agreed  that  it  would  be  a  most  eligible  ar 
rangement. 

"  We  must  make  him  contented^  my  dear," 


120  Making  His  Way. 

said  her  husband.  "  Give  him  the  best  bed 
room,  and  I  think  it  might  be  well  to  have 
something  a  little  extra  for  supper." 

"  I  did  intend  to  put  on  the  rest  of  that  cold 
mutton,"  said  Mrs.  Tarbox,  doubtfully. 

"  It  won't  do,  Martha.  There  is  only  a 
little  of  it,  you  know,  and  the  boy  has  been 
traveling,  and,  of  course,  is  hungry.  What  do 
you  say,  now,  to  some  nice  beefsteak?  " 

"  Beefsteak  is  high  now,"  said  Mrs.  Tarbox. 
"  Still,  if  we  buy  round  steak — that  is  cheaper 
than  sirloin  or  tenderloin." 

"And  quite  as  good,"  said  her  economical 
partner.  "  We  can  tell  Frank,  however,  that 
no  sirloin  was  to  be  had  so  late  in  the  day  at 
the  markets." 

Mrs.  Tarbox  nodded  her  head,  approving  the 
suggestion. 

This  little  matter  being  adjusted,  the  hus 
band  and  wife  entered  the  parlor  where  our 
hero  was  waiting  patiently. 

"  This  is  our  young  cousin,  Martha,"  said 
Mr.  Tarbox,  smiling  pleasantly. 

"  Welcome  to  Newark,"  said  Mrs.  Tarbox, 
extending  her  hand.  "  And  how  did  you  leave 
your  stepfather?  " 

"  He  is  well,"  said  Frank,  coolly. 

The  two  exchanged  glances.  It  was  clear 
that  Frank  did  not  like  his  stepfather,  and 
this  was  satisfactory  to  them.  There  was  the 
more  chance  of  his  leaving  him  and  boarding 
with  them. 


Making  His  Way.  121 

"  The  children  will  be  so  glad  to  see  you," 
said  Mr.  Tarbox;  "  won't  they,  Martha?  " 

"  Delighted !  "  assured  the  lady. 

"  Pliny  must  be  about  your  age.  How  old 
are  you,  by  the  way?  " 

"  Sixteen." 

"  Just  Pliny's  age.  Do  you  remember 
him?" 

Frank  remembered  a  tall,  thin  stripling  who 
had  accompanied  his  parents  to  the  Cedars, 
and  who  appeared  to  have  an  inexhaustible 
appetite. 

"  Yes,  I  remember  him.  Does  he  go  to 
school?" 

"No;  Pliny  is  in  a  store,"  answered  Mr. 
Tarbox. 

"  Your  store?  " 

"  Oh,  no !  I  thought  it  would  be  better  for 
him  to  enter  the  employ  of  a  stranger.  He  is 
in  a  bookstore." 

There  was  one  great  advantage  in  Pliny's 
entering  the  employ  of  a  stranger.  He  was 
paid  four  dollars  a  week,  whereas  Mr.  Tarbox 
paid  his  boy  but  two.  Here,  then,  was  a  clear 
gain  of  two  dollars  a  week. 

"  But  you  must  be  tired,"  said  Mrs.  Tarbox. 
"  You  will  see  the  children  at  supper.  Martha, 
I  think  Frank  would  like  to  go  to  his  room." 

The  best  bedroom  was  over  the  parlor.  It 
was  rather  more  cheerful,  because  lighter. 

"  Here,"  said  Mr.  Tarbox,  "  you  must  make 
yourself  at  home.  Martha,  isn't  one  of  the 


122  Making  His  Way. 

drawers  in  that  bureau  empty?  I  thought  so. 
Take  your  clothes  out  of  the  valise  and  put 
them  away.  Now,  is  there  anything  you  would 
like?" 

"  Only  a  little  water  to  wash  in,"  said  Frank. 
"  You  are  both  very  kind." 

"  We  hope  to  make  you  comfortable.  You 
are  our  relative,  you  know." 

The  water  was  brought  up  by  Mrs.  Tarbox 
herself,  and  Frank  was  left  alone,  on  the  whole 
well  pleased  with  his  reception. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

AN  UNPLEASANT  DISCOVERY. 

IT  never  occurred  to  Frank  that  his  cordial 
reception  was  wholly  due  to  his  supposed 
wealth.  Had  he  known  the  Tarbox  family 
better,  he  would  have  had  no  uncertainty  on 
this  point.  As  it  was  the  discovery  was  soon 
made. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  supper-bell  rang, 
and  Frank  descended  the  stairs,  guided  by  Mr. 
Tarbox  himself.  •  There  our  hero  saw  the 
younger  branches  of  the  family — Pliny,  a  thin, 
lanky  youth,  with  pale-brown  hair  plastered  to 
the  sides  of  his  head  with  bear's  grease,  and 
Julia,  who  was  a  smaller  edition  of  her  mother. 
There  were  two  children  still  younger,  who  do 
not  need  describing. 

"  All  my  olive  branches  are  before  you,  my 
dear  young  cousin,"  said  Mr.  Tarbox,  waving 


Making  His  Way.  .      123 

his  hand.  "  A  peaceful,  happy  family.  Chil 
dren,  this  is  our  esteemed  relative,  Frank 
Courtney.  You  remember  visiting  his  delight 
ful  home,  the  Cedars." 

"  Yes,  pa,"  said  Julia. 

Pliny  said  nothing,  but  stared  at  Frank, 
inwardly  considering  whether  it  would  be  pos 
sible  to  borrow  some  money  of  him. 

Frank  looked  around  him,  and  tried  to  be 
lieve  that  he  should  like  his  young  cousins ;  but 
they  did  not  look  at  all  attractive.  But  he 
wished  to  be  polite,  and  said: 

"  I  am  glad  to  meet  you  all.  I  hope  we  shall 
become  better  acquainted." 

"  No  doubt  you  will,"  said  Mr.  Tarbox. 
"They  are  rather  bashful,  but  they  long  to 
know  you." 

"How  are  you?"  said  Pliny,  in  a  sudden 
burst  of  sociability. 

"  Pretty  well,  thank  you !  "  answered  Frank, 
finding  it  rather  difficult  to  preserve  his  grav 
ity. 

"  I  am  in  a  store,"  said  Pliny. 

"In  your  father's  store?" 

"  No.  He  wouldn't  pay  me  as  much  as  I  get 
where  I  am." 

Mr.  Tarbox  looked  embarrassed. 

"  A  smaller  boy  answered  my  purpose,"  he 
said,  in  an  explanatory  manner.  "  Pliny  is 
suited  for  higher  duties.  But  our  supper  is 
ready.  It  is  frugal  compared  with -yours  at 
the  Cedars,  my  dear  Frank,  bu+  you  are  heart 
ily  welcome  to  it." 


124  Making  His  Way. 

"  It  looks  very  nice,  Mr.  Tarbox,"  said  our 
hero,  "  and  I  have  not  been  accustomed  to 
luxurious  living." 

This  answer  pleased  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tarbox. 
Even  if  Frank  should  become  a  boarder  on 
liberal  terms,  they  didn't  wish  to  spend  too 
much  on  their  table. 

"  We  couldn't  get  sirloin  steak,"  said  Mr. 
Tarbox ;  "  but  I  hope  you  will  find  this  good." 

"  No  doubt  I  shall,"  said  Frank,  politely. 

"  You  never  do  buy  sirloin  steak,  ma,"  said 
one  of  the  younger  darlings. 

Mrs.  Tarbox  frowned. 

"  Hush,  Amelia !  "  she  said.  "  Little  girls 
should  been  seen  and  not  heard." 

"  Do  you  have  to  go  back  to  the  store, 
Pliny?"  asked  Frank. 

"  Yes ;  I  have  to  stay  till  eight  o'clock." 

"  Do  you  like  it?  " 

"  Yes,  pretty  well ;  but  I  like  the  pay  better," 
chuckled  Pliny,  who  was  under  the  impression 
that  he  had  said  something  witty. 

"  Candid  boy !  "  exclaimed  his  father,  admir 
ingly. 

"  They  pay  me  four  dollars  a  week,"  contin 
ued  Pliny;  "but  I  guess  they'll  raise  me  to 
five  in  a  few  months." 

"  Four  dollars  a  week ! "  thought  Frank. 
"  That  isn't  much.  I  am  afraid  I  couldn't  live 
on  it." 

"  Have  you  been  in  the  place  long? "  he 
asked. 


Making  His  Way.  125 

"  Three  months." 

"Is  that  the  price  usually  paid  to  boys?" 
inquired  Frank. 

"  Pa  only  pays  his  boy  two  dollars  a  week," 
said  Amelia. 

Here  it  was  Mr.  Tarbox's  turn  to  frown. 

"  The  duties  of  my  boy  are  very  simple,"  he 
felt  obliged  to  explain. 

Frank,  knowing  Mr.  Tarbox  to  be  in  busb 
ness  before  coming  to  Newark,  had  a  vague 
idea  of  finding  a  place  in  his  store,  but  this 
revelation  convinced  him  that  it  would  be  nec 
essary  for  him  to  look  elsewhere.  Even  if 
there  had  been  a  vacancy,  it  was  quite  out  of 
the  question  to  accept  two  dollars  a  week. 

"Won't  you  have  another  piece  of  steak?" 
asked  Mrs.  Tarbox. 

Frank  saw  that  there  was  but  a  small  piece 
left,  and,  though  his  appetite  was  not  wholly 
satisfied,  he  answered : 

"  No,  thank  you." 

"  I  will !  "  said  Pliny,  quickly. 

Mrs.  Tarbox  frowned  at  her  son,  but  did 
not  venture  to  refuse  in  the  presence  of  her 
guest.  She  cut  off  a  small  portion  of  the 
steak,  and,  with  a  severe  look,  put  it  on  the 
extended  plate  of  Pliny. 

"You've  got  a  good  appetite,  Pliny,"  said 
Julia. 

"  So  would  you  have,  if  you  had  to  work  like 
me !  "  grumbled  Pliny. 

After  the  steak  came  an  apple  pie,  which 


126  Making  His  Way. 

was  cut  into  seven  pieces.  Mrs.  Tarbox  man 
aged  to  make  Frank's  piece  a  little  larger  than 
the  rest. 

Her  husband  observed  it  with  approval.  He 
was  very  desirous  that  Frank  should  be  satis 
fied  with  his  fare. 

When  Pliny  rose  from  the  table,  saying  that 
he  must  be  getting  back  to  the  store,  Frank 
rose  also. 

"  I  will  go  with  you,"  he  said,  "  if  you  have 
no  objection.  I  would  like  to  take  a  walk." 

"  Come  along,"  said  Pliny.  "  I  should  like 
to  have  company." 

"  You  will  be  a  great  deal  of  company  for 
Pliny,"  observed  Mr.  Tarbox,  rubbing  his 
hands  with  satisfaction.  "  Just  of  an  age  and 
of  congenial  tastes." 

Frank  hardly  expected  to  find  Pliny  very 
congenial,  but  he  wished  to  obtain  some  infor 
mation,  which  he  thought  the  latter  could  give 
him,  and  he  also  wanted  to  see  something  of 
Newark. 

"  I  say,  your  name  is  Frank,  isn't  it?  "  com 
menced  Pliny. 

"  Yes." 

"  The  old  man's  awful  glad  to  see  you." 

"  I  am  glad  of  it.  He  has  received  me  very 
kindly." 

"  Got  up  an  extra  supper  for  you.  We  don't 
often  get  steak  for  supper." 

This  was  rather  an  embarrassing  revelation, 
and  surprised  Frank  somewhat  The  supper 


Making  His  Way.  127 

had  not  seemed  to  him  at  all  extra.  It  would 
do,  but  was  far  from  luxurious. 

"  I  hope  you'll  stay  with  us  a  good  while," 
continued  Pliny. 

"  Thank  you." 

"  You  see  we  shall  live  better  while  you  are 
with  us,  and  the  rest  of  us  will  be  gainers." 

"  I  don't  want  to  put  your  father  to  any  un 
usual  expense." 

Oh,  he  can  afford  it !  But  he's  stingy,  father 
is.  He  doesn't  spend  any  more  than  he  can 
help." 

"  It  is  best  to  be  economical,  I  suppose." 

"  When  you  don't  carry  it  too  far.  I  say, 
Frank,"  continued  Pliny,  lowering  his  voice, 
"you  can't  lend  me  five  dollars,  can  you?  " 

Frank  regarded  Pliny  with  astonishment. 
The  proposal  was  very  abrupt,  especially  when 
the  shortness  of  their  acquaintance  was  con 
sidered. 

"Are  you  particularly  in  need  of  money?" 
asked  Frank. 

"  Well,  you  see,"  said  Pliny,  "  I  want  it  for 
a  particular  purpose." 

"  Why  not  ask  your  father  for  it?  " 

"  Oh,  he'd  never  let  me  have  it!  " 

Now,  in  Frank's  present  circumstances,  five 
dollars  represented  a  good  deal  of  money.  He 
was  the  more  impressed  with  the  necessity  of 
economy  since  he  had  found  out  how  small 
were  the  wages  paid  in  stores  to  boys  of  his 
age. 


128  Making  His  Way. 

He  did  not  feel  at  all  inclined  to  grant 
Pliny's  request,  especially  as  he  liad  a  strong 
suspicion  that  it  would  be  a  long  time  before 
the  sum  would  be  returned. 

"Why  do  you  apply  to  me,  Pliny?"  he 
asked,  seriously. 

"  Because  you  have  plenty  of  money.  Five 
dollars  would  be  nothing  to  you." 

"  What  makes  you  think  I  have  plenty  of 
money?" 

"  Didn't  your  mother  die  and  leave  you  a 
big  property?  Father  says  you  must  be  worth 
more  than  a  hundred  thousand  dollars." 

"  Your  father  probably  has  not  heard  of  the 
will,"  said  Frank,  quietly. 

"  What  was  there  in  the  will?  "  asked  Pliny. 

"  The  whole  property  was  left  to  Mr.  Man 
ning." 

"Who  is  he?" 

"  My  stepfather." 

"  And  nothing  to  you?  " 

"  Nothing  to  me." 

"  But  he's  got  to  take  care  of  you,  hasn't 
he?" 

"  It  was  expected,  but  I  am  going  to  earn  my 
own  living,  if  I  can." 

Pliny  stopped  short  in  blank  amazement 
and  whistled.  ; 

"  Then  you  haven't  got  a  lot  of  money?" 

"No."  * 

"  Won't  your  stepfather  give  you  part  of 
the  property?" 


Making  His  Way.  129 

u  I  haven't  asked  him,  but  I  don't  think  he 
will." 

"  And  why  did  you  come  to  Newark? ' 

"  I  thought  your  father  might  give  me  some 
help  about  getting  a  place." 

"  If  this  isn't  the  richest  joke !  "  said  Pliny, 
laughing  uproariously. 

"  Where  is  the  joke?  I  don't  see  it,"  re 
turned  Frank,  inclined  to  be  angry. 

"  The  way  you  have  taken  in  the  old  man. 
He  thinks  you  are  rich,  and  has  treated  you 
accordingly — got  up  an  extra  supper  and  all 
that.  Oh,  it's  too  good !  " 

"  I  certainly  didn't  intend  to  take  him  in, 
as  you  call  it,"  said  Frank.  "  The  sooner  you 
tell  him  the  better." 

"  I'll  tell  him,"  said  Pliny.  «  I  shall  enjoy 
seeing  how  provoked  he'll  be." 

"  I  think  I  will  leave  you,"  said  Frank, 
shortly.  "  I  will  take  a  walk  by  myself." 

"  Well,  don't  lose  your  way.  Oh,  I  wish  the 
store  was  shut!  I  want  to  tell  the  old  man." 

And  Pliny  laughed  again,  while  our  hero 
walked  off  in  disgust. 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE    WAY   OP   THE   WORLJ). 

FRANK  felt  like  an  impostor  when  he  discov 
ered  that  his  cordial  reception  was  wholly  ow 
ing  to  the  belief  that  he  was  his  mother's  heir. 

The  situation  was  unpleasant,  and  he  was 


130  Making  His  Way. 

impatient  to  have  Mr.  Tarbox  undeceived.  He 
was  sure  that  Pliny  would  lose  no  time  in  re 
vealing  his  true  position,  and  decided  not  to 
return  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Tarbox  till  nine 
o'clock,  wrhen  the  story  would  have  been  told. 

He  wandered  about  aimlessly  till  he  heard 
the  city  clocks  strike  nine,  and  then  rang  the 
bell  at  his  relation's  house. 

The  family,  with  the  exception  of  the  two 
younger  children,  were  assembled  in  the  com 
mon  sitting-room. 

As  Frank  entered,  instead  of  the  cordial 
welcome  he  had  previously  received,  he  noticed 
a  look  of  coldness  and  constraint  on  the  faces 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tarbox,  while  Pliny  looked  as 
if  some  stupendous  joke  was  being  perpetra 
ted. 

"  Good-evening !  "  said  Frank,  politely.  "  I 
have  been  taking  a  walk." 

"  My  son  Pliny  tells  me,"  said  Mr.  Tarbox, 
"  that  you  have  not  inherited  your  mother's 
property." 

Frank  bowed. 

"  And  that  it  has  gone  to  your  stepfather." 

"  It  seems  so." 

"  I  am  amazed." 

"  So  was  I,  sir." 

"  Your  mother  has  practically  disinherited 
you?" 

"  It  was  not  my  mother,  sir,"  said  Frank, 
hastily.  "  I  can't  explain  it,  but  I'm  sure  she 
would  not  will  away  everything  from  me." 


Making  His  Way.  131 

"  Do  you  suspect  your  stepfather  of  anything 
irregular?7'  asked  Mr.  Tarbox,  briskly. 

"  I  would  rather  not  answer  your  question, 
sir.  I  don't  care  to  make  any  charges  which 
I  cannot  prove." 

"  And  so  Mr.  Manning  has  sent  you  out  into 
the  world  to  earn  your  own  living,  has  he?  " 

"  No,  sir.  He  has  consented  that  I  may  do 
so.  It  was  my  own  plan." 

Much  as  Frank  was  prejudiced  against  his 
stepfather,  his  natural  sense  of  justice  would 
not  allow  him  to  accuse  him  unjustly. 

"  Did  he  suggest  that  you  should  come  to 
me?  "  asked  Mr.  Tarbox  in  a  tone  which  Frank 
did  not  like. 

"  No,  sir." 

"  So  that  was  your  idea,  too,"  continued  Mr. 
Tarbox,  with  a  palpable  sneer. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  Frank.  "  You  are  not 
a  very  near  relative,  but  the  nearest  I  know  of, 
and  I  supposed  you  would  be  willing  to  give 
me  some  advice  about  the  best  means  of  earn 
ing  my  living.  I  remember,"  he  could  not 
help  adding,  "  that  my  mother  received  you 
all  as  guests  for  a  considerable  time,  and  I 
thought  I  might  take  the  liberty." 

"  Oh,  certainly ! "  returned  Mr.  Tarbox, 
rather  abashed.  "I  am,  of  course,  ready  to 
give  you  advice,  and  my  first  advice  is  to  seek 
a  lawyer  and  let  him  institute  a  suit  against 
your  stepfather,  on  speculation.  That  is,  he 
gets  nothing  if  he  fails,  but  obtains  a  com- 


132  Making  His  Way. 

*•: 

mission  if  lie  succeeds.  I  could  myself  recom 
mend  a  reliable  man." 

"  Thank  you,  sir ;  but  I  have  no  present 
thought  of  contesting  the  will." 

"  I  think  you  make  a  mistake.  Do  I  under 
stand  that  you  expect  to  earn  your  own  liv 
ing?  " 

"  I  shall  try  to  do  so." 

"  You  will  find  it  very  difficult.  You  may 
expect  me  to  take  you  into  my  own  store,  but 
there  is  no  vacancy,  and " 

Frank  hastily  assured  Mr.  Tarbox  that  he 
had  no  such  expectations.  He  had  no  wish  to 
deprive  the  errand  boy  of  the  two  dollars  a 
week,  which  he  probably  richly  earned. 

"  Situations  in  Newark  are  not  easily  ob 
tained,"  proceeded  Mr.  Tarbox.  "  I  am  will 
ing  that  you  should  stay  with  us  a  day  or  two, 
but  I  don't  think  you  will  find  it  worth  your 
while  to  stay  here."  ^ 

Mr.  Tarbox  feared  that  his  young  relative 
might  expect  to  find  a  home  free  of  charge  in 
his  house,  and  such  an  arrangement  did  not 
suit  his  economical  ideas.  There  was  no  profit 
in  it,  but,  on  the  contrary,  a  positive  loss. 
Frank  read  clearly  the  thoughts  of  li's  host, 
with  the  help  of  what  Pliny  had  told  him,  and, 
expressing  his  thanks  very  briefly,  announced 
his  intention  to  go  to  New  York  the  next  morn 
ing. 

"  It  may  be  the  best  thing  you  can  do !  "  said 
Mr.  Tarbox,  relieved.  "  New  York  opens  a 


Making  His  Way.  133 

much  wider  field  to  a  boy  of  enterprise  than 
Newark,  and  probably  you  will  pick  up  some< 
thing  to  do." 

"It  won't  be  my  fault,  if  I  don't,"  said 
Frank. 

"  You  have  my  best  wishes,"  said  Mr.  Tar- 
box.  "  The  demands  of  my  family  forbid  me 

offering  you   any  pecuniary   assistance,   but 

t » 

"  I  don't  stand  in  need  of  it,  sir.  I  have 
money  enough  to  keep  me  till  I  get  started  in 
something." 

"  Really,  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it !  " 

And  there  is  no  doubt  that  Mr.  Tarbox  was 
sincere. 

-  "  I  wonder  how  much  money  he  has  got?  " 
thought  Pliny.  "  Perhaps  he'd  lend  me  two 
dollars.  I'll  ask  him,  if  I  have  a  chance." 

Pliny  proposed  to  borrow,  not  because  he 
needed  the  money,  but  because  he  liked  to  levy 
contributions  upon  any  available  party,  with 
a  very  faint  idea  of  repaying  the  same.  The 
money  would  go  to  swell  his  deposit  at  the 
savings-bank.  It  was  very  commendable,  of 
course,  to  save  his  money,  but  not  at  the  ex 
pense  of  others,  as  Pliny  too  frequently  did. 

"  I  have  moved  you  out  of  the  spare  room," 
said  Mrs.  Tarbox,  when  our  hero  asked  per 
mission  to  retire,  "  and  put  you  in  the  same 
room  with  Pliny.  I  suppose  you  won't 
mind?" 

"Just  as  you  please,  Mrs.   Tarbox^ said 


134  Making  His  Way. 

Frank,  though  he  would  have  preferred  to  have 
passed  the  night  alone. 

"  Could  you  make  it  convenient  to  lend  me 
two  dollars?"  asked  Pliny,  as  they  went  up 
to  bed  together. 

"  Not  just  noAv,"  answered  Frank.  "  When 
I  get  something  to  do  I  shall  not  need  to  be  so 
careful  of  my  money." 

"  One  dollar  would  answer,"  persisted', 
Pliny. 

Without  a  word,  Frank  drew  a  dollar  bill 
from  his  pocket-book  and  handed  it  to  Pliny. 

"  Now,"  he  thought,  "  I  shall  not  feel  under 
any  obligations  to  the  family." 

"  You're  a  good  fellow,  even  if  you  are 
poor,"  said  Pliny,  in  high  good  humor. 

Frank  was  tired,  and  it  was  not  long  before 
all  his  anxieties  for  the  future  were  lost  sighfe 
all  his  anxieties  for  the  future  were  lost  sight 


CHAPTER  XX. 

FRANK  ARRIVES  IN  NEW  YORK. 

THE  breakfast  the  next  morning  was  very 
meager.  It  was  no  longer  an  object  to  gratify 
Frank's  palate,  now  that  he  turned  out  to  be 
a  poor  relation,  and  the  family  returned  to 
their  usual  plain  diet. 

"  So  you  are  resolved  to  go  to  New  York  this 
morning,"  said  Mr.  Tarbox.  "  Of  course  it 
would  gratify  us  to  have  you  remain  longer, 
but  I  appreciatey our  anxiety  to  get  to  work." 


Making  His  Way.  135 

Frank  was  by  no  means  deceived  by  this 
statement.  He  knew  very  well  that  Mr.  Tarbox 
would  be  relieved  by  his  departure,  but  of  this 
knowledge  he  made  no  sign.  He  merely  said 
that  he  thought  it  best  to  go. 

He  took  leave  of  his  hosts,  and,  purchasing 
a  ticket  at  the  railway  station,  found  himself 
within  an  hour  in  New  York.  He  had  been 
there  before,  but  it  was  not  for  a  long  time, 
and  he  had  but  a  vague  general  idea  of  the 
city. 

"  Let  me  carry  your  valise,"  said  a  small  boy, 
as  he  left  the  ferry  house. 

"  Do  you  think  you  are  any  better  able  to 
carry  it  than  I  am  ? "  asked  Frank,  with  a 
smile. 

"  I  thought  you  might  be  tired,"  said  the 
street  boy. 

"  You  may  take  it  to  Broadway  for  me,"  said 
Frank,  to  whom  it  occurred  that  he  might  ob 
tain  some  needed  information  from  his  new 
acquaintance.  "  Is  this  the  way  you  make  your 
living?  "  he  asked. 

"  Sometimes  I  sell  papers,"  said  the  boy. 

"  Do  you  get  many  bundles  to  carry?  " 

"  Sometimes  I  do." 

"Does  it  pay  well?" 

"  Depends  on  the  party,"  said  the  boy.  "  I 
carried  a  bird  cage  for  a  lady  about  a  mile 
once,  and  she  didn't  want  to  pay  me  more'n 
five  cents." 

u  That  wasn't  very  liberal,"  Frank  said. 


136  Making  His  Way. 

"  If  I  had  many  such  customers  as  her,  I'd 
soon  starve  to  death/7  said  the  boy,  in  a  tone 
of  disgust. 

"  I've  come  to  New  York  myself  to  earn  a 
living,"  said  Frank. 

"  Have  you?  "  responded  the  boy,  eying  him 
in  some  surprise.  "  You  look  as  if  you  had 
plenty  of  money." 

"  I  have  some,  but  I  must  try  to  earn  my 
living.  Do  you  know  any  cheap  boarding- 
house?" 

"  There's  a  place  in  Mott  Street  where  some 
of  us  boys  live,  but  I  guess  it  wouldn't  be  good 
enough  for  you." 

"  Where  is  Mott  Street?  " 

"  It  ain't  a  very  nice  neighborhood.  The 
woman  lets  her  rooms  for  a  dollar  a  week,  and 
the  boys  eat  at  the  restaurants.  How  much  do 
you  expect  to  pay  for  board  ?  " 

"  I  should  like  to  get  board  for  five  dollars 
a  week." 

"  You  can  get  a  tiptop  place  for  that  up  on 
Bleeker  Street  or  Clinton  Place." 

"  How  far  off  are  these  streets?  " 

"  About  two  miles." 

"  Then  come  with  me  and  show  me  where 
they  are.  I  will  pay  you  twenty  cents  an  hour 
for  your  time." 

"  All  right,"  said  the  boy,  cheerfully. 
"Shall  we  walk?" 

"  No ;  we  will  get  into  the  horse  cars." 

"  Then  we  will  take  the  University  Place 
cars.  There's  one  now," 


Making  His  Way.  137 

And  the  boy  signaled  to  the  conductor  to 
stop.  The  two  boys  got  on  board  the  car,  and 
twenty  minutes  brought  them  to  University 
Place. 

As  they  left  the  car,  Frank  observed  little 
slips  of  paper  pasted  on  the  outside  of  several 
houses  with  "  Furnished  Rooms,"  or  "  Fur 
nished  Rooms  writh  Board,"  written  upon  them. 

"  I  suppose  I  may  as  well  inquire  at  some 
of  these  places,"  he  said. 

"  I  guess  you'll  get  suited  at  some  one  of 
them,"  said  his  young  guide.  "  Do  you  want 
me  any  more?" 

"  No,  I  believe  not." 

Frank  paid  the  boy  twenty  cents  and  his  re 
turn  car  fare,  with  which  the  latter  seemed  to 
be  well  satisfied. 

He  then  ascended  the  steps  of  a  house  which 
purported  to  furnish  room  and  board,  and  rang 
the  bell. 

A  slipshod  servant  answered  it. 

"  Have  you  got  any  small  rooms? "  asked 
Frank. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  girl.  "  Missus  is  out, 
but  I'll  show  you  a  hall  bedroom,  if  you  like." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  it." 

Frank  followed  the  girl  upstairs. 

He  was  not  favorabty  impressed  by  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  interior.  He  did  not  so  much 
mind  its  being  shabby,  but  he  was  repelled  by 
the  evident  lack  of  neatness. 

The  girl  threw  open  the  door  of  a  small  hall 


138  Making  His  Way. 

bedroom  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  but  it  looked 
so  comfortless  that  he  felt  sure  he  should  not 
like  it.  He  thought  it  best,  however,  to  inquire 
the  price. 

"  Five  dollars  a  week  with  board/7  answered 
the  girl. 

"  I  don't  think  it  will  suit  me,"  said  our  hero. 

"  There's  a  larger  room  for  seven  dollars," 
said  the  servant. 

"  No.    I  think  I  will  look  elsewhere." 

The  next  house  was  not  much  better,  but  the 
third  was  much  neater  and  more  attractive, 
and  Frank  agreed  to  take  a  room  at  five  dollars 
per  week. 

It  was  a  small  hall  bedroom,  but  it  looked 
clean,  and  the  lady  who  showed  him  about  the 
house  was  very  neat  in  her  dress. 

"  When  will  you  come?  "  asked  the  lady. 

"  Now,"  replied  Frank,  promptly. 

"  Would  you  mind  paying  the  first  week  in 
advance? " 

"  Not  at  all.     Here  is  the  money." 

And  Frank  drew  a  five-dollar  bill  from  his 
portemonnaie. 

"  Thank  you ! "  said  the  boarding-house 
keeper.  "  I  have  lost  so  much  by  boarders 
going  away  owing  me  money  that  I  am  obliged 
to  ask  gentlemen  to  pay  in  advance  till  I  am 
well  acquainted  with  them." 

"  That  is  quite  right,"  said  Frank.  "  What 
is  your  dinner  hour?  " 

"  Six  o'clock.     We  have  lunch  at  half-past 


Making  His  Way.  139 

twelve  for  the  ladies,  but  if  any  gentleman  hap 
pens  to  be  at  home  at  that  time,  he  can  go  in." 

Frank  looked  at  his  watch.  It  was  only 
eleven  o'clock,  and  as  so  much  of  the  day  re 
mained,  he  decided,  as  soon  as  he  had  unpacked 
his  valise,  to  go  downtown  and  look  for  a  place 
without  delay. 

"  I  shall  not  be  here  at  lunch  to-day,"  he  said. 
"  You  may  expect  me  at  dinner." 

There  was  a  small  bureau  in  the  room — a 
piece  of  furniture  not  often  found  in  hall  bed 
rooms. 

Prank  deposited  the  contents  of  the  valise 
in  the  bureau  drawers,  and  then  went  down 
stairs  and  out  into  the  street. 


CHAPTER  XXL 

FRANK  SEEKS  EMPLOYMENT  IN  VAIN. 

IT  was  a  bright,  pleasant  day,  and  Broadway 
looked  very  lively.  In  spite  of  his  being  alone 
in  a  strange  city,  with  uncertain  prospects,- 
Frank  felt  in  good  spirits. 

Boys  of  his  age  usually  like  excitement  and 
bustle,  and  Frank  was  quick  to  notice  the  shift 
ing  scenes  of  the  great  panorama. 

"  Here  are  thousands  of  people,"  he  reflected, 
"  all  of  whom  make  a  living  in  some  way.  I 
don't  see  why  I  can't  succeed  as  well  as  they." 

Some  of  the  objects  he  saw  amused  him. 

In  front  of  him  walked  an  elderly  man  with 
a  large  placard  strapped  to  his  back,  on  which 


140  Making  His  Way. 

was  the  advertisement  of  a  "  Great  Clothing 
Emporium." 

"  I  don't  think  I  should  fancy  that  kind  of 
employment,"  thought  our  hero. 

As  he  was  looking  in  at  a  shop  window,  a 
boy  about  his  own  age  hailed  him. 

"  I  say,  Johnny,  what's  the  price  of  tur 
nips?" 

"  Do  you  want  to  buy  any?  "  asked  Frank, 
quietly. 

"  Well,  I  might.  Have  you  got  any  with 
you?" 

"  I  am  sorry  I  can't  supply  you,"  said 
Frank,  coolly.  "  Up  our  way  we  keep  our  cat 
tle  on  turnips." 

"  You  ain't  so  green,  after  all,"  said  the  boy, 
laughing  good-naturedly. 

"  Thank  you  for  the  compliment !  " 

"  I  suppose  I  look  countrylike,"  thought 
Frank,  "  but  it  won't  last  long.  I  shall  get 
used  to  city  ways." 

Close  by  he  saw  in  a  window  the  sign : 

"  CASH  BOYS  WANTED." 

Frank  was  not  altogether  certain  about  the 
duties  of  cash  boys  nor  their  rate  of  compen 
sation,  but  he  made  up  his  mind  not  to  lose 
sight  of  any  chances,  and  accordingly  stepped 
into  the  store. 

It  proved  to  be  a  large  dry-goods  store. 

Near  the  entrance  he  met  a  tall  man,  with 
black  whiskers. 


Making  His  Way.  141 

"Do  you  want  any  cash  boys?"  inquired 
Frank. 

"  Are  you  inquiring  for  yourself?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  You  are  too  large.  Besides,  you  would  not 
be  satisfied  with  the  wages?" 

"  How  much  do  you  pay,  sir?  " 

"  Two  dollars  a  week." 

"  No ;  I  don't  think  I  should  like  to  work  for 
that,"  said  Frank.  "  Are  those  cash  boys?  " 
he  asked,  pointing  out  some  boys  of  apparently 
ten  to  twelve  years  old,  who  were  flitting  about 
from  desk  to  counter. 

«  Yes." 

"  I  see  they  are  much  younger  than  I.  Ex 
cuse  the  trouble  I  have  given  you ! " 

"  None  whatever,"  said  the  man,  politely. 

Frank  left  the  store,  and  continued  his  walk 
down  Broadway. 

He  began  to  feel  a  little  serious.  It  was 
evident  that  the  Uoys  did  not  receive  as  large 
compensation  for  their  services  as  he  had  sup 
posed. 

It  was  not  likely  to  prove  an  easy  task  to 
earn  his  own  living.  His  board  and  lodging 
would  cost  him  five  dollars  weekly;  more,  in 
fact,  because  he  had  to  buy  his  lunch  outside. 
Then  his  washing  would  cost  him  something, 
and  there  were  other  necessary  expenses,  be 
sides  clothing. 

This  last  item  might  be  met  by  the  quarterly 


142  Making  His  Way. 

sum  with  which  his  stepfather  proposed  to 
provide  him. 

The  problem  promised  to  be  a  perplexing 
one,  but  Frank  was  by  no  means  discouraged. 
In  fact,  if  he  had  been,  he  would  hardly  have 
deserved  to  be  the  hero  of  my  story. 

Though  Clinton  Place  is  not  very  far  up- 
toAvn,  it  is  a  considerable  walk  from  this  point 
to  the  Astor  House. 

There  was  so  much  to  see,  however,  that 
Frank  did  not  become  tired,  nor  was  he  sensi 
ble  of  the  distance.  He  walked  a  little  beyond 
the  Astor  House,  and,  crossing  Broadway, 
turned  down  Fulton  Street. 

On  the  left  side  of  the  street  his  attention 
was  drawn  to  a  restaurant,  and  he  was  led  by 
the  prompting  of  appetite  to  enter. 

The  prices  he  found  to  be  reasonable,  and 
'the  tables  were  already  pretty  well  filled  with 
clerks  and  business  men,  who  were  partaking 
of  their  midday  lunch. 

Frank  found  that  a  plate  of  meat,  with  po 
tato  and  a  small  supply  of  bread  and  butter, 
could  be  obtained  for  fifteen  cents. 

He  afterward  found  restaurants  where  the 
same  could  be  gotten  for  ten  cents,  but  gen 
erally  there  was  a  deficiency  in  quality  or 
quantity,  and  there  was  less  neatness  in  serv 
ing  the  articles. 

Seated  at  the  same  table  with  Frank  were 
two  young  men,  neither  probably  much  over 


Making  His  Way.  143 

twenty.  One  appeared  to  be  filling  a  regular 
clerkship. 

"  What  are  you  doing  now,  Jack?  "  he  asked 
of  the  other. 

"  I  am  in  the  tea  business." 

"How  is  that?" 

"  You  know  the  Great  Pekin  Tea  Company, 
of  course?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  until  I  can  get  a  place,  I  am  selling 
for  them." 

"  How  do  you  make  out?" 

"  I  can't  tell  you,  for  I  have  only  just  com 
menced,"  said  his  friend. 

"  How  do  they  pay — salary  or  commis 
sion?  " 

"  They  are  to  pay  me  a  commission — twenty 
per  cent,  on  what  I  sell." 

"  That  is  a  good  commission." 

"  Yes ;  it  is  good  enough,  if  I  can  make  a  fair 
amount  of  sales.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  un 
certainty  about  it,  of  course.  I  would  much 
rather  have  a  place  like  yours." 

Frank  listened  with  interest.  He  wondered 
whether  the  Great  Pekin  Tea  Company  would 
employ  him.  If  so,  he  would  have  a  field  for 
his  energy,  and  every  inducement  to  work 
hard,  since  his  pay  would  depend  on  the 
amount  of  his  sales.  Besides,  as  an  agent,  lie 
would  occupy  a  comparatively  independent 
position,  and  Prank  was  ambitious  enough  to 
enjoy  this. 


144  Making  His  Way. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

AN  ADVENTURE  IN  WALL  STREET. 

WHEN  the  two  men  at  his  table  left  the  res 
taurant,  Frank  followed  them.  At  the  door 
the  two  parted,  the  clerk  going  toward  Broad 
way,  while  the  agent  walked  in  the  direction  of 
Nassau  Street. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  Frank,  overtak 
ing  him ;  "  but  may  I  ask  you  a  question?  " 

"  Half  a  dozen,  if  you  like,"  said  the  other, 
good-naturedly. 

"  I  overheard  what  you  said  about  the  Great 
Pekin  Tea  Company.  Do  you  think  I  could 
get  a  chance  to  sell  for  them?  " 

"  Oh,  yes ;  there'll  be  no  trouble  about 
that!" 

"  I  am  looking  for  something  to  do,"  con 
tinued  Frank,  "  and  I  think  I  should  like  to 
try  that." 

"  You'll  find  it  uphill  work,"  said  the  agent ; 
"  hard  work  and  poor  pay.  I  shall  leave  it  as 
soon  as  I  can  get  a  regular  position.  Can't 
you  get  a  place?  " 

"  Perhaps  I  can.  I  haven't  tried  very  hard 
yet,"  answered  Frank ;  "  but  I  find  boys  are 
paid  so  little  that  I  can't  make  enough  to  live 
on.  If  I  were  a  man  it  would  be  different." 

"  I  don't  believe  you  can  make  more  than  a 
boy's  wages  at  selling  tea,"  said  Frank's  new 
acquaintance;  "  but  you  might  try  it." 


Making  His  Way.  145 

"  Would  you  mind  giving  me  a  note  to  the 
company?  "  asked  Frank. 

"  I  will  write  a  line  on  one  of  my  business 
cards/7  said  the  agent.  "  That  will  be  all  you 
will  need." 

He  drew  out  a  card  and  wrote  a  line  com 
mending  Frank  to  the  attention  of  the  com 
pany. 

Frank  thanked  him,  and  sought  the  direc 
tion  given. 

Entering  a  large  shop,  not  far  from  the 
Astor  House,  he  looked  about  him  inquiringly. 
Around  him  were  chests  of  tea,  inscribed  with 
Chinese  characters.  A  portly  man  addressed 
him. 

"  Well,  my  boy,  what  can  I  do  for  you  ?  "  he 
asked. 

"  Mr.  Mason,  one  of  your  agents,  has  given 
me  this  card,"  said  Frank.  "  He  thinks  you 
might  be  willing  to  employ  me." 

"  We  are  ready  to  employ  any  competent 
person,"  said  the  gentleman ;  "  but  you  seem 
very  young." 

"  I  am  sixteen,  sir." 

"  That  is  young.  Have  you  had  any  experi 
ence  as  an  agent?" 

"  No,  sir." 

"  What  kind  of  business  have  you  been  in?  " 
inquired  the  tea  merchant. 

"  In  none,  sir." 

"  Do  you  live  in  New  York?  " 

"  I  do  now,  but  I  only  arrived  this  morn 
ing." 


146  Making  His  Way. 

The  merchant  eyed  Frank  doubtfully. 

"  I  suppose,  then,  that  you  don't  know  much 
about  the  city  or  the  neighborhood?" 

"  No,  sir,"  answered  Frank,  beginning  to 
think  that  he  had  overestimated  his  qualifica 
tions  for  business. 

"  I  am  afraid,  then,  that  you  will  find  some 
difficulty." 

"  Let  me  try,  sir.  If  I  fail,  or  think  I  am 
likely  to  fail,  I  will  give  it  up." 

"  Very  well.  I  have  no  objection  to  your 
trying.  Come  with  me." 

Frank  followed  him  to  the  rear  of  the  store, 
where  the  merchant  introduced  him  to  one  of 
his  subordinates. 

"  Henry,"  said  he,  "  this  young  man  wants 
to  act  as  our  agent.  Fit  him  out  and  give  him 
such  directions  as  may  be  necessary." 

Frank  was  told  that  it  would  be  well  to  take 
samples  of  different  kinds  of  teas  with  their 
respective  prices  attached,  and  seek  orders  for 
them  at  private  houses  and  groceries,  noting 
down  in  a  little  book  orders  obtained.  Small 
quantities  he  could  himself  deliver,  and  large 
quantities,  should  he  be  fortunate  enough  to 
obtain  any,  could  be  sent  out  from  the  store  by 
their  general  delivery. 

"What  commission  am  I  to  get,  sir?"  in 
quired  Frank. 

"  Twenty  per  cent,  on  parcels  sold  to  private 
houses  and  ten  per  cent,  when  you  sell  to  re 
tail  dealers.  To  the  first  you  can  charge  a  full 


Making  His  Way.  147 

price,  but  it  is  necessary  to  sell  at  lower  rates 
to  dealers." 

"  I  understand,  sir/7  said  Frank. 

"  When  do  you  want  to  begin?  " 

"  To-morrow  morning,  sir.  Where  do  you 
advise  me  to  go?  "  .... 

"  New  York  has  been  pretty  well  canvassed, 
excent  perhaps  the  upper  part,  Harlem.  It 
might  be  well  to  make  a  start  in  Brooklyn." 

"  Very  well,  sir.  I  will  call  to-morrow  and 
get  samples." 

As  Frank  left  the  store,  he  reflected,  with 
satisfaction : 

"  I  have  only  been  a  few  hours  in  New  York, 
and  I  have  gotten  employment  already." 

This  reflection  raised  his  spirits,  and  dis 
posed  him  to  regard  the  future  with  a  degree 
of  confidence.  He  resolved  to  spend  the  rest 
of  the  afternoon  in  walking  about  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  city,  and  acquiring  a  little  famil 
iarity  with  the  streets,  as  this  was  a  kind  of 
knowledge  he  was  likely  to  need. 

He  strolled  down  Broadway,  admiring  the 
massive  ancf  stately  structures  that  lined  the 
street  on  either  side.  Very  soon  he  came  to 
Trinity  Church,  and,  standing  in  front  of  it, 
looked  down  Wall  Street.  He  had  heard  so 
much  of  this  street  that  he  felt  inclined  to  turn 
from  Broadway  and  walk  down  its  entire 
length. 

As  he  sauntered  along  a  man  whom  he  met 
scrutinized  him  sharply,  as  if  considering  some 


148  Making  His  Way. 

plan.  Apparently  making  up  his  mind,  he 
stepped  up  to  Frank,  and,  touching  him  on  the 
shoulder,  said: 

"  Boy,  would  you  like  a  job?  " 

Now  Frank,  though  he  had  engaged  to  work 
for  the  Great  Pekin  Tea  Company,  was  ready 
to  accept  any  other  proposal,  and  answered 
promptly : 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  That  is  right,"  said  the  man.  "  It  is  a 
mere  trifle,  but  I  am  willing  to  pay  you  a  dol 
lar." 

"  What  is  it,  sir?  " 

"  Do  you  see  that  window?  " 

He  pointed  to  a  basement  window,  in  which 
were  exposed  rolls  of  gold,  currency  and  green 
backs  of  different  denominations,  and  English 
sovereigns  and  French  gold  coins. 

"  I  want  you  to  do  me  a  little  errand  in 
there,"  he  said. 

Frank  was  rather  surprised  that  the  man 
did  not  do  his  own  errand,  when  the  broker's 
office  was  so  near,  but  he  had  no  objection  to 
earning  a  dollar  and  signified  his  willingness. 

"What  I  want  you' to  do,"  said  his  new  ac 
quaintance,  "  is  to  sell  some  government  bonds 
for  me." 

"  Very  well,  sir." 

The  man  produced  a  large  yellow  envelope, 
already  open. 

"  In  this  envelope,"  he  said,  "  are  two  five- 
twenty  governments  for  a  hundred  dollars 


Making  His  Way.  149 

each.    Take  them  in  and  sell  them,  and  bring 
the  proceeds  to  me." 

"  All  right,  sir." 

Frank  took  the  envelope,  and  entered  the 
office  of  Jones  &  Robinson,  that  being  the  style 
of  the  firm. 

He  advanced  to  the  counter,  and  singling 
out  a  clerk,  said : 

"  I  want  to  sell  these  bonds."    x 

The  clerk  took  them,  and  drew  them  out  of 
the  envelope.  Then  he  figured  a  little  on  a  slip 
of  paper,  and  saidr 

"  They  are  worth  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  dollars  and  twenty-five  cents." 

"  All  right,  sir." 

"  Will  you  take  a  check  or  currency?  " 

Frank  hesitated. 

"  Perhaps  I'd  better  ask  the  man  I  am  get 
ting  them  for." 

"  Very  well.  You  can  bring  them  here  to 
morrow." 

"  Oh,  I  will  let  you  know  in  a  minute !  The 
man  is  just  outside." 

This  answer  immediately  excited  suspicion. 
Frank  was  too  little  versed  in  business  ways 
to  understand  how  singular  it  was  for  his  prin 
cipal  not  to  transact  his  own  business  under 
the  circumstances,  but  the  brokers  were  nec 
essarily  keen,  shrewd  men. 

"  Wait  a  minute,"  said  the  clerk ;  "  I  will 
speak  to  Mr.  Jones." 

Mr.  Jones  came  forward  and  addressed 
Frank, 

i 


150  Making  His  Way. 

"  Are  you  acquainted  with  the  man  who 
gave  you  these  bonds  to  sell  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,  sir.     I  met  him  in  the  street." 

"  Did  he  offer  you  any  pay  for  selling 
them?" 

"  Yes,  sir.    He  is  going  to  give  me  a  dollar." 

"  Will  you  go  out  and  ask  him  to  come  in 
here  a  moment?" 

Frank  obeyed. 

When  his  employer  saw  him  coming,  he 
asked,  eagerly: 

"  Have  you  got  the  money?  " 

"  No,"  answered  Prank.  "  They  asked  me 
if  I  wanted  a  check  or  currency." 

"  Either  currency  or  gold,"  answered  the 
man,  hastily.  "  Go  back  at  once,  and  don't 
keep  me  waiting." 

"  They  want  to  see  you,  sir." 

"  What  for? "  inquired  the  man,  looking 
disturuea. 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  There  is  no  need  of  my  going  in,"  said  the 
man,  angrily.  "  I  paid  you  to  sell  the  bonds. 
Now  go  back." 

"  He  won't  come,"  reported  Frank.  "  He 
says  I  can  attend  to  the  business.  He  will 
take  either  gold  or  currency." 

"  No  doubt,"  said  Mr.  Jones,  significantly. 
"  Thomas,  go  out  with  this  boy,  and  tell  the 
man  that  employed  him  that  we  do  not  pur 
chase  bonds  unless  we  have  a  reasonable  as 
surance  that  they  belong  to  the  person  offer- 


Making  His  Way.  151 

ing  them.  We  will  take  the  liberty  of  retain 
ing  them,  giving  him  a  receipt  for  them,  and 
if  we  are  satisfied,  he  can  have  his  money  to 
morrow." 

Robinson,  who  had  been  examining  some 
newspaper  slips,  here  came  forward,  and  said : 

"  That  is  unnecessary.  I  find  that  these 
bonds  are  among  those  stolen  from  the  house 
of  Henry  Percival,  Madison  Avenue,  a  week 
since.  We  must  manage  to  delay  the  man 
while  we  notify  the  police." 

Frank  was  very  much  surprised  to  learn 
that  he  was  acting  as  agent  for  a  bond  robber, 
and  was  fearful  that  he  might  himself  be  re 
garded  with  suspicion ;  but  he  need  not  have 
troubled  himself  on  this  score.  Wall  Street 
men  are  good  judges  of  human  nature,  and  it 
was  at  once  concluded  in  the  office  that  Frank 
was  the  dupe  of  a  designing  knave. 

A  boy  was  dispatched  to  the  nearest  police 
office,  and  Frank  was  directed  to  tell  his  prin 
cipal  that  he  would  not  long  be  delayed. 

Naturally,  however,  the  man  outside  had  be 
come  suspicious. 

"  I  can't  wait,"the  said.  "  Meet  me  on  the 
steps  of  the  Astor  ITouse  at  five  o'clock  with 
the  money.  I  am  obliged  to  hurry  away  now 
to  a  business  appointment." 

Frank  could  think  of  no  other  pretext  for 
delaying  him,  and  was  forced  to  see  him  hurry 
away. 

TTo  hastened  back  to  the  office  and  gave  the 
alarm. 


152  Making  His  Way. 

"  He  has  taken  fright,"  said  Robinson.  "  I 
fear  we  have  lost  him.  Where  did  he  go?  " 

Frank,  however,  was  too  ignorant  of  city 
streets  to  give  any  accurate  information. 

The  consequence  was  that  when  the  police 
man  appeared  on  the  scene,  there  was  no  oc 
casion  for  his  services. 

"  At  any  rate,"  said  the  broker,  "  we  have 
secured  a  little  of  the  plunder.  What  is  your 
name  and  address,  my  boy?  We  may  wish  to 
communicate  with  you." 

Frank  gave  his  name,  and  added  the  direc 
tions  of  his  boarding-house. 

"  Shall  I  meet  the  man  at  the  Astor 
House?"  he  inquired,  as  he  w^as  leaving  the 
office. 

"  To  be  sure !  "  said  Mr.  Jones.  "  I  came 
near  forgetting  that.  Officer,  will  you  be  on 
hand  at  the  time?" 

"  Better  employ  a  detective,  sir,  as  my  uni 
form  would  keep  the  thief  at  a  distance.  I 
don't  think  he'll  appear,  at  any  rate." 

"  I  do,"  said  the  broker.  "  He  won't  give 
up  the  money  while  he  thinks  there  is  a  chance 
of  securing  it." 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  CAPTURE. 

AT  the  hour  named,  Frank  repaired  to  the 

Astor  House,  and  took  a  position  on  the  steps. 

He  looked  about  him  for  his  street  acquaint- 


Making  His  Way.  153 

ance,  but  could  see  no  one  who  bore  any  re 
semblance  to  him. 

Finally,  a  man  dressed  in  a  gray  suit,  with 
a  pair  of  green  glasses,  walked  carelessly  up  to 
our  hero  and  said,  in  a  low  voice : 

"  Have  you  got  the  money?  " 

Frank  looked  at  him  in  surprise. 

This  man  had  thick,  black  whiskers,  while 
the  man  who  had  employed  him  had  none  at 
all,  so  far  as  he  could  remember.  Besides,  the 
green  glasses  altered  him  considerably. 

To  make  sure  that  he  was  not  deceived  he 
inquired : 

"What  money?" 

"You  know  very  well,"  said  the  man,  im 
patiently.  "  You  are  the  boy  whom  I  em 
ployed  to  sell  some  bonds  this  morning." 

"  You  don't  look  like  the  same  man,"  said 
Frank. 

"  Because  of  my  glasses.  I  have  to  wear 
them  at  times  on  account  of  the  weakness  of 
my  eyes." 

While  he  was  speaking,  a  quiet-looking  man 
approached  and  listened  to  the  conversation. 

"  Then,"  said  Frank,  "you  can  tell  me  how 
many  bonds  you  handed  me." 

"  They  were  two  five-twenty  government 
bonds  of  a  hundred  dollars  each." 

"  Correct,  sir." 

"  Then  hand  me  the  money  and  be  quick 
about  it,  for  I  have  no  time  to  waste!  You 
shall  have  the  dollar  I  promised  you," 


154  Making  His  Way. 

But  here  the  quiet-looking  man  took  a  part 
in  the  conversation.  Passing  his  arm  through 
that  of  the  man  with  the  green  glasses,  he  said : 

"  I  will  trouble  you  to  come  with  me." 

"How  dare  you  touch  me?  Do  you  mean 
to  insult  me?  "  demanded  the  other,  struggling 
with  his  captor. 

"  I  will  make  all  clear  in  due  time.  You 
must  come  with  me  and  explain  how  you  came 
in  possession  of  the  bonds  you  gave  this  boy." 

"  They  were  put  in  my  hands  by  an  acquaint 
ance.  If  there  is  anything  wrong,  I  am  not  to 
blame." 

"  In  that  case  no  harm  will  come  to  you ;  but 
now  you  must  come  along." 

The  other  looked  as  if  he  meditated  an  es 
cape,  but  the  sight  of  a  policeman  near  at  hand 
convinced  him  that  it  would  be  impracticable. 

"Do  you  want  me  any  longer?"  asked 
Frank. 

"Not  at  present,  but  you  may  leave  your 
address  with  me." 

Frank  did  so;  and  then,  feeling  weary,  he 
took  a  car,  and,  going  uptown,  went  to  his 
boarding-place,  where  he  lay  down  for  a  while. 

At  six  o'clock  the  dinner-bell  rang,  and  our 
hero  went  down  and  took  his  seat  at  the  table. 

Eight  persons  were  already  in  their  seats — 
two  married  couples,  a  young  lady  of  twenty- 
five,  who  was  the  teacher  in  one  of  the  public 
schools,  as  Frank  afterward  learned,  a  quiet- 
looking,  elderly  man,  who  was  a  bookkeeper 


Making  His  Way.  155 

for  a  Pearl  Street  house,  and  two  young  men, 
one  employed  as  a  salesman  in  Stewart's  retail 
store,  and  the  other  in  a  gentlemen's  furnish 
ing  store  on  Sixth  Avenue.  The  last  men 
tioned  was  Frank's  next  neighbor  at  the 
table. 

He  was  rather  a  dashing-looking  young  fel 
low,  with  his  hair  elaborately  oiled  and 
brushed,  an  incipient  mustache,  and  a  large 
and  showy  necktie. 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  said  Mrs.  Fletcher, 
the  landlady,  "  this  is  Mr.  Courtney,  who  has 
just  joined  our  pleasant  circle." 

Frank  made  a  general  bow,  and  received  a 
similar  greeting  from  his  fellow  boarders. 

"  Have  you  just  arrived  in  New  York,  Mr. 
Courtney?"  asked  the  young  man  next  him. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Frank.  "  I  only  arrived 
this  morning." 

"  Do  you  intend  to  remain  in  the  city?  " 

"  If  I  can  find  employment." 

"  Ah,  to  be  sure !  I  hope  you  will.  I  am 
employed  in  a  store  on  Sixth  Avenue.  I  wish 
we  had  a  vacancy.  I  should  be  glad  to  rec 
ommend  you." 

"  You  are  very  kind,"  said  Frank. 

He  could  not  help  wondering  how  his  neigh 
bor  could  feel  justified  in  reccommending  him 
on  so  brief  an  acquaintance,  but  did  not  think 
it  necessary  to  express  this. 

"  I  suppose  you  have  never  been  employed 
in  the  city,  Mr.  Courtney?  " 


156  Making  His  Way. 

"  I  have  never  been  employed  anywhere/' 
admitted  Frank. 

"  This  would  be  against  you,  of  course. 
Still,  you  may  find  an  opening.  By  the  way, 
Mr.  Courtney,  allow  me  to  introduce  myself." 

The  young  man  drew  from  his  pocket  a 
highly-glazed  card,  bearing  the  name,  "  P. 
Preston." 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  you,  Mr.  Preston,"  said 
Frank,  politely. 

"  You  may  wonder  what  the  first  letter 
stands  for,"  said  Mr.  Preston,  confidentially 
"  Now  don't  be  shocked  when  I  say  Peter." 

"  No,  I  am  not  shocked,"  said  Frank,  smil 
ing. 

"  Ugly  name,  isn't  it?  I  really  feel  that  I 
am  very  badly  treated  in  having  such  a  name 
fastened  upon  me;  but  I  was  named  for  my 
uncle  Peter." 

"  Where  is  your  store?  "  asked  Frank. 

"  Near  Fourteenth  Street.  I  shall  be  glad 
to  see  you  there  at  any  time.  I  suppose  you 
are  not  doing  anything  at  present." 

"  I  have  taken  an  agency  to  sell  tea  for  the 
Great  Pekin  Company.  I  am  to  begin  to-mor 
row." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  won't  like  it.  A  friend  of 
mine  tried  it  once  and  came  near  starving." 

This  was  not  encouraging,  but  Frank  was 
not  going  to  despair  before  he  had  fairly  begun 
his  work. 

"  I  find  that  boys  receive  such  small  wages/' 


Making  His  Way.  157 

Frank  continued,  "  that  I  prefer  to  try  an 
agency." 

"  Quite  true,"  said  Mr.  Preston,  condescend 
ingly,  "  When  I  started  I  was  paid  a  paltry 
sum ;  now  I  am  not  paid  what  I  am  worth. 
Still,  twenty-five  dollars  a  week  is  fair." 

"  Quite  fair,"  responded  Frank,  who  could 
not,  of  course,  know  that  Mr.  Preston  did  not 
receive  one-half  of  this  sum,  though  he  chose  to 
give  that  impression. 

After  dinner,  Preston  was  obliged  to  go  back 
to  the  store  where  he  was  employed.  By  in 
vitation,  Frank  walked  with  him. 

Turning  into  Sixth  Avenue  they  passed  a 
saloon. 

"  Won't  you  have  something  to  drink,  Court 
ney?"  said  Preston. 

"No;  thank  you,  I  never  drink,"  answered 
Frank. 

"  It  wijl  brace  you  up,  and  make  you  feel 
jolly.  Better  come  in !  " 

"  I  don't  need  bracing  up,"  answered  Frank, 
quietly. 

"  Well,  perhaps  you  are  right,"  said  Mr. 
Peter  Preston.  "  I  don't  indulge  very  often, 
but  sometimes  I  feel  like  it." 

Some  boys  might  have  yielded  to  the  tempta 
tion,  but  Frank  had  determined  that  he  would 
abstain  from  liquor,  and  kept  his  resolution. 
A  boy  who  comes  to  the  city  is  exposed  at  every 
step  to  this  peril,  and  needs  a  firm  will  to  with 
stand  it.  It  is  the  fruitful  source  of  crime 


158  Making  His  Way. 

and  misery,  and  does  more  to  fill  our  prisons 
than  any  other  cause. 

"  This  is  my  store,"  said  Preston,  as  he 
pointed  to  a  modest-looking  shop  on  the  west 
side  of  the  avenue.  "  I  wish  I  could  keep  you 
company  longer,  but  business  before  pleasure, 
you  know." 

Before  returning  to  his  boarding-house, 
Frank  sat  down  for  a  short  time  in  Washing 
ton  Park,  and  reviewed  his  plans  and  pros 
pects.  He  could  not  tell  how  he  would  succeed 
in  his  tea  agency ;  but  if  that  failed,  he  was  re 
solved  to  try  something  else. 

He  didn't  feel  homesick,  for  since  his 
mother's  death  he  had  no  longer  any  home  ties. 
Young  as  he  was,  he  felt  that  one  part  of  his 
life  was  at  an  end,  and  that  a  new  life  and  a 
new  career  were  before  him. 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  YOUNG  TEA  MERCHANT. 

THE  next  morning,  at  breakfast,  one  of  the 
gentlemen,  who  had  been  running  his  eyes  over 
the  morning  paper,  said,  suddenly: 

"  Ah !  I  see  they  have  caught  one  of  the 
gang  who  robbed  the  house  of  Mr.  Percival,  on 
Madison  Avenue,  a  week  ago." 

"  Read  the  paragraph,  Mr.  Smith,"  said  one 
of  the  boarders. 

Mr.  Smith  read  as  follows: 

"About  noon  yesterday  a  boy  entered  the 


Making  His  Way. 

banking-house  of  Jones  &  Robinson,  in  Wall 
Street,  and  offered  for  sale  two  one-hundred- 
dollar  government  bonds.  On  inquiry,  he  said 
that  the  bonds  belonged  to  a  man  in  the  street, 
whom  he  had  never  before  met,  and  who  had 
offered  him  a  dollar  to  sell  them.  This  natur 
ally  excited  suspicion,  and  a  policeman  was 
sent  for.  Before  he  could  arrive  the  man  had 
hastily  departed,  requesting  the  boy  to  meet 
him  at  a  specified  hour  in  front  of  the  Astor 
House  and  hand  him  the  money.  He  came  to 
the  rendezvous,  but  in  disguise,  and,  while 
talking  to  the  boy,  was  arrested.  It  is  under 
stood  that  he  has  agreed  to  turn  State's  evi 
dence,  and  probably  the  entire  sum  stolen, 
amounting  to  several  thousand  dollars,  will 
be  recovered." 

Frank  listened  to  this  paragraph  with  inter 
est.  He  was  glad  that  his  name  was  not  men 
tioned  in  the  account,  as  he  didn't  care  for 
such  publicity.  He  ventured  to  ask  a  ques 
tion. 

"Is  Mr.  Percival  a  rich  man?"  he  asked. 

"  Very  rich,"  answered  Mr.  Smith.  "  He  is 
not  now  in  the  city,  but  he  is  expected  home 
from  Europe  in  three  or  four  weeks.  His 
house  was  left  in  the  charge  of  an  old  servant 
• — a  coachman — and  his  wife ;  but  the  burglars 
proved  too  much  for  them." 

"  I  am  glad  they  are  caught,"  said  Mrs. 
Fletcher.  "  It  makes  my  blood  run  cold  to 


160  Making  His  Way. 

think  of  having  the  houses  entered  at  night  by 
burglars." 

"  Preston,"  said  Mr.  Smith,  jokingly,  "  I 
hope  you  have  your  bonds  locked  securely  up." 

"  I  don't  believe  the  sharpest  burglar  can 
find  them,"  said  Preston.  "  I  only  wish  I 
could  get  hold  of  them  myself." 

"  The  boy  who  helped  to  capture  the  bur 
glar  ought  to  be  well  rewarded,"  said  one  of 
the  boarders. 

"  Don't  you  wish  it  had  been  you,  Court 
ney?"  said  Mr.  Preston. 

"  It  was,"  answered  Frank,  quietly. 

There  was  a  gieat  sensation  upon  this  an 
nouncement.  All  eyes  were  turned  upon  our 
hero — most,  it  must  be  admitted,  with  an  ex 
pression  of  incredulity. 

"  Come,  now,  you  are  joking !  "  said  Preston. 
"  You  don't  really  mean  it?  " 

"  I  do  mean  it,"  assured  Frank. 

"  Tell  us  all  about  it,"  said  Mrs.  Fletcher, 
who  had  her  share  of  curiosity.  "  I  didn't 
suppose  we  had  such  a  hero  in  our  house." 

"  It  didn't  require  much'  heroism,"  said 
Frank,  smiling. 

"  Tell  us  all  about  it,  at  any  rate." 

Frank  told  the  story  as  simply  as  he  could, 
much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  company. 

"  You'll  come  in  for  a  handsome  reward, 
when  Mr.  Percival  gets  home,"  suggested  Mr. 
Smith. 

"  I  don't  expect  anything,"  said  Frank,    "  I 


Making  His  Way.  161 

shall  be  satisfied  if  I  get  the  dollar  which  was 
promised  me.  I  haven't  received  that  yet." 

"  I  wish  I  were  in  your  shoes — that's  all  I've 
got  to  say,"  said  Preston,  nodding  vigorously. 
"  Will  you  sell  out  for  five  dollars?  " 

"Cash  down?"  asked  Prank,  smiling. 

"  Well,  I'll  give  you  my  note  at  thirty  days," 
said  the  Sixth  Avenue  salesman,  who  seldom 
kept  five  dollars  in  advance  of  his  liabilities. 

"  I  won't  sell  what  I  haven't  got,"  said 
Frank.  "  Probably  I  shall  hear  nothing  from 
Mr.  Percival." 

After  breakfast  Frank  went  downtown  and 
sought  the  store  of  the  Great  Pekin  Company, 

After  half  an  hour's  delay — for  there  were 
others  in  advance  of  him — he  was  fitted  out 
with  samples  and  started  for  Brooklyn. 

It  was  his  first  visit  to  that  city,  but  he  had 
received  some  directions  which  made  his  ex 
pedition  less  embarrassing. 

At  the  ferry  he  took  a  Flatbush  Avenue  car, 
and  rode  up  Fulton  Street,  and  passed  the  City 
Hall,  up  Fulton  Avenue,  for  nearly  a  mile. 

Here  were  intersecting  streets,  lined  with 
comfortable  houses — for  Frank  had  made  up 
his  mind  first  to  try  private  houses.  He  had 
with  him  a  few  pound  parcels  of  tea,  which  he 
thought  he  could  perhaps  succeed  in  disposing 
of  at  such  places. 

He  selected  a  house  at  random,  and  rang  the 
bell. 

A  servant  answered  the  ring. 


162  Making  His  Way. 

Frank  felt  rather  embarrassed,  but  there 
was  no  time  to  hesitate. 

"  I  have  some  samples  of  tea  with  me,"  he 
began,  "  of  excellent  quality  and  at  reasonable 
prices." 

"  It's  no  use,"  said  the  girl,  abruptly.  "  We 
never  buy  of  peddlers,"  and  she  closed  the  door 
in  his  face. 

"  Not  a  very  good  beginning,"  thought 
Frank,  rather  mortified.  "  So  I  am  a  ped 
dler,"  he  said  to  himself,  and  he  called  to  mind 
the  agents  and  peddlers  who  in  past  years  had 
called  at  the  Cedars. 

With  some  compunction,  he  remembered 
that  he  had  regarded  them  with  some  con 
tempt  as  traveling  nuisances.  Now  he  had 
entered  the  ranks  of  this  despised  class,  and 
he  began  to  see  that  they  might  be  perfectly 
respectable,  and  were  estimable  persons,  ani 
mated  by  a  praiseworthy  desire  to  make  an 
honest  living. 

Thus  thinking,  he  called  at  another  door. 

It  was  opened,  not  by  a  servant,  but  by  an 
elderly  maiden  lady,  who  had  rather  a  weak 
ness  for  bargains. 

"  I've  got  some  nice  tea,"  said  Frank,  "  which' 
I  should  like  to  sell  you.  It  is  put  up  by  the 
Great  Pekin  Company." 

"  Are  you  sure  it's  nice?  "  asked  the  elderly 
lady.  "  We've  been  getting  ours  at  the  gro 
cery  store  on  the  avenue,  and  the  last  wasn't 
yery  good." 


Making  His  Way.  163 

"  You'd  better  try  a  pound  of  ours/'  said 
Frank. 

"  I  don't  know  but  I  will,"  said  the  lady. 
"  How  much  do  you  charge?  " 

"  I  have  some  at  fifty  cents,  some  at  sixty 
and  some  at  seventy." 

"  I  guess  I'll  take  the  sixty." 

Frank  had  a  pound  parcel  ready,  which  he 
delivered  to  her,  and  received  his  money. 

"  Seems  to  me  you  are  pretty  young  for  a 
peddler,"  said  the  lady,  regarding  Frank  with 
curiosity. 

"  Yes,  ma'am." 

"  Ho  wold  be  you?" 

"  Sixteen." 

"  Been  long  in  the  business?  " 

"  No,  ma'am ;  I've  only  just  commenced." 

"  You  don't  say  so !  Do  you  make  much 
money  at  it?  " 

"  I  haven't  made  much  yet.  I  should  be 
glad  to  supply  you  with  some  more  tea  when 
this  is  gone." 

"  Well,  you  can  call  if  you  are  around  this 
way.  If  I  like  it,  I  will  try  you  again." 

Frank's  spirits  rose. 

His  profits  on  the  pound  of  tea  were  twelve 
cents.  This  was  not  much,  certainly,  but  it 
was  a  beginning. 

At  the  next  three  houses  he  sold  nothing, 
being  rather  rudely  rebuffed  at  one.  At  the 
fourth  house,  the  servant  called  her  mistress, 
a  kind,  motherly-looking  woman,  who  seemed 


164  Making  His  Way. 

to  regard  Frank  with  more  interest  than  his 
merchandise. 

"  I  hope  you  are  succeeding  well,"  she  said, 
kindly. 

"  This  is  my  first  day,"  said  Frank,  "  and  I 
have  made  one  sale." 

"  I  have  a  son  who  is  an  agent  like  you.  but 
he  didn't  begin  so  young.  He  is  now  traveling 
in  the  West." 

"What  is  he  selling?"  asked  Frank,  with 
interest. 

"  Dry  goods.  He  *  travels  for  a  wholesale 
house  in  New  York." 

"  I  suppose  he  is  a  young  man." 

"  Yes ;  he  is  twenty-five,  but  he  began  at 
nineteen  in  a  small  way.  He  sometimes  got 
quite  discouraged  at  first.  That  is  why  I  feel 
interested  in  any  who  are  passing  through  the 
same  experience." 

These  pleasant  words  cheered  Frank.  Only 
at  the  nearest  house  he  had  been  called  a 
tramp,  but  here  he  found  that  he  was  regarded 
with  consideration. 

"  It  is  rather  uphill  work,"  said  Frank. 

"  And  you  seem  very  young." 

"  I  am  sixteen." 

"  Are  you  entirely  dependent  on  what  you 
earn?"  asked  the  lady,  sympathizingly. 

"  Not  entirely,"  answered  the  young  mer 
chant,  "  but  I  hope  to  make  a  living  in  this  or 
some  other  way.  Can  I  sell  you  any? "  he 
asked  hopefully. 


Making  His  Way.  165 

"  I  believe  we  have  some  on  hand.  Still  tea 
will  always  keep,  and  I  would  like  to  help  you 
along." 

The  kind-hearted  lady  took  three  pounds — 
two  at  sixty  cents  and  one  at  seventy.  This 
gave  Frank  a  profit  of  thirty-eight  cents  and 
put  him  in  good  spirits. 

He  worked  his  way  back  to  the  avenue  on  the 
other  side  of  the  street,  and,  coming  to  a  gro 
cery  store,  entered. 

It  occurred  to  him  that  he  would  try  to  sell 
some  at  wholesale. 

Frank  was  so  young  that  the  dealer  did  not 
suppose  him  to  be  an  agent,  and  asked  what 
he  would  like  to  buy. 

"  I  came  to  sell,  not  to  buy,"  said  Frank. 

"What  are  you  dealing  in?"  asked  the 
grocer. 

"  I  have  several  samples  of  tea,"  said  our 
hero.  "  If  you  will  give  me  an  order,  I  will 
have  it  sent  to  you  to-morrow." 

The  grocer  found,  upon  examination,  that 
his  stock  was  getting  low,  and  gave  Frank  an 
order,  but  he  was  obliged  to  sell  below  the 
regular  price,  and  only  cleared  three  cents  a 
pound.  Still,  on  a  sale  of  twenty-five  pounds, 
this  gave  him  seventy-five  cents,  which  was 
very  encouraging. 

Adding  up  his  profits,  thus  far,  Frank  found 
that  his  commission  amounted  to  a  dollar  and 
a  quarter,  which  exceeded  his  anticipations. 

He  continued  his  calls,  but  sold  only  one 


166  Making  His  Way. 

pound  besides,  at  fifty  cents,  netting  him  ten 
cents  more. 

By  this  time  Frank  was  both  tired  and 
hungry.  He  boarded  a  passing  car,  and,  re 
turning  to  Fulton  Ferry,  crossed  to  New  York, 
relieved  of  the  greater  part  of  his  burden.  On 
the  New  York  side  he  stepped  into  a  restaur 
ant,  and,  for  twenty-five  cents,  secured  a 
hearty  but  not  luxurious  lunch. 

Frank  repaired  to  the  headquarters  of  the 
tea  company  and  reported  his  day's  sales. 

"  You  have  done  unusually  well,7'  said  the 
proprietor.  "  Many  of  our  agents  do  not  suc 
ceed  in  making  a  single  sale  the  first  day.  I 
should  not  have  been  surprised  if  your  experi 
ence  had  been  similar." 

"  It  is  hard  work,"  said  Frank,  "  and  an 
agent  is  rudely  treated.  Sometimes  I  was 
called  a  tramp  and  a  nuisance." 

The  proprietor  laughed. 

"  Hard  words  break  no  bones,"  he  said. 
"  The  business  is  perfectly  honorable.  Will 
you  try  it  again  to-morrow?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  as  I  have  nothing  else  to  do." 

"  Very  well ;  we  will  fit  you  out." 

Frank  took  a  car  and  went  home.  He 
found  that  horse  cars  were  likely  to  cut  largely 
into  his  profits.  His  expenses  for  the  day 
were  twenty  cents  for  car  fare  and  four  cents 
for  the  ferry,  or  twenty-four  cents  in  all.  Be 
sides  this,  he  must  count  in  twenty-five  cents 
for  lunch,  which  brought  up  the  entire  expense 
to  forty-nine  cents. 


Making  His  Way.  167 

"  But  for  the  wholesale  order,"  he  reflected, 
"  I  should  have  cleared  but  eleven  cents  over 
and  above  expenses,  while  my  board  and  wash 
ing  will  amount  to  nearly  a  dollar  a  day." 

Thus  Frank  found  that,  though  he  had  a 
fortunate  day,  he  had  not  quite  earned  enough 
to  pay  his  expenses. 

This  made  him  feel  serious.  Still,  he  re 
flected  that  it  was  only  the  beginning,  and  he 
might  do  better  in  the  future. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

FRANK  MEETS  MR.   MANNING  AND  MARK. 

THE  next  morning  Frank  resumed  his  tea 
agency.  As  on  the  day  previous,  he  went  to 
Brooklyn ;  but,  though  I  should  be  glad  to  say 
that  he  was  more  successful  than  on  the  first 
day,  truth  compels  me  to  state  that  the  day 
wras  a  comparative  failure. 

It  might  be  that  he  was  unfortunate  in  the 
persons  whom  he  visited,  but  at  all  events,  at 
the  close  of  his  labors  he  found  that  his  com 
missions  amounted  to  less  than  fifty  cents. 
lie  contented  himself,  therefore,  with  a  ten- 
cent  lunch,  and  crossed  Fulton  Ferry  between 
three  and  four  o'clock. 

"  This  will  never  do,"  thought  Frank,  seri 
ously.  "  I  shall  have  to  be  economical  to  make 
my  earnings  cover  my  incidental  expenses, 
while  my  board  aud  lodging  must  be  defrayed 
out  of  the  money  I  have  with  me." 

Frank    was    disappointed.     It    is   eas^    to 


1 68  Making  His  Way. 

think  of  earning  one's  living,  but  not  quite  so 
easy  to  accomplish  it.  A  boy,  besides  being 
ignorant  of  the  world,  is  inexperienced,  and  so 
disqualified  for  many  avenues  of  employment 
which  are  open  to  men.  It  is  generally  foolish 
for  a  boy  to  leave  a  good  home  and  start  out 
for  himself,  unless  the  chances  are  unusually 
favorable  for  him.  If  he  does  it,  however,  he 
should  not  allow  himself  to  be  easily  discour 
aged. 

If  Frank  had  given  up  the  business  in  which 
he  was  engaged  simply  because  he  had  met 
with  one  unsuccessful  day,  I  should  not  have 
been  willing  to  make  him  the  hero  of  my  story. 

"  This  will  never  do,"  thought  Frank.  "  I 
must  make  a  greater  effort  to-morrow." 

The  next  day  his  commission  amounted  to  a 
dollar,  and  the  fourth  day  to  a  dollar  and 
twelve  cents. 

"  You  are  doing  well,"  said  his  employer. 
"  You  are  doing  better  than  the  majority  of 
our  agents." 

In  one  way  this  compliment  was  satisfac 
tory.  In  another  way  it  was  not  encouraging, 
for  it  limited  his  prospects.  Frank  began  to 
think  that  he  would  never  be  able  to  make  his 
entire  expenses  as  a  tea  agent. 

I  do  not  propose  to  speak  in  detail  of  Frank's 
daily  experiences,  but  only  to  make  mention 
of  any  incidents  that  play  an  important  part 
in  his  history. 

Jle  was  returning  from  Jersey  City  on  the 


Making  His  Way,  169 

tenth  day  of  his  agency,  when  in  the  gentle 
men's  cabin  he  saw,  directly  opposite,  two  per 
sons  whom  he  had  reason  to  remember. 

They  were  Mark  Manning  and  his  father. 

Little  reason  as  he  had  to  like  either,  they 
reminded  him  of  home,  and  he  felt  pleased  to 
meet  them. 

He  instantly  crossed  the  cabin,  and  offered 
his  hand  to  his  stepfather,  who  had  not  yet 
seen  him. 

"  When  did  you  arrive,  Mr.  Manning?  "  he 
asked. 

"  Why,  it  is  Frank ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Man 
ning,  with  an  appearance  of  cordiality. 
"  Mark,  do  you  see  Frank?  " 

"  Yes,  I  see  him,"  replied  Mark,  coldly. 

"Haven't  you  anything  to  say  to  him?" 
asked  his  father,  who  was  much  more  of  a 
gentleman  than  his  son. 

"  How  are  you?  "  said  Mark,  indifferently. 

"  Thank  you  for  your  kind  inquiry,"  said 
Frank,  more  amused  than  vexed,  for  he  cared 
very  little  for  his  stepbrother's  friendship. 
"  I  am  in  very  good  health." 

"And  how  are  you  getting  along?"  asked 
his  stepfather,  with  an  appearance  of  interest. 
"  Are  you* in  any  business?  " 

"  Yes,"  answered  Frank. 

"  What  are  you  doing? "  asked  Mark,  in 
spired  a  little  by  curiosity. 

"  I  am  agent  for  a  wholesale  tea  house  in 
New  York,"  Frank  answered,  briefly. 


170  Making  His  Way. 

"  You  don't  say  so !  "  exclaimed  Mark,  rather 
impressed.  "  What  is  the  name  of  the  firm?  " 

"  The  Great  Pekin  Tea  Company." 

"Does  it  pay  well?"  asked  his  stepbrother. 

"  I  have  met  with  very  fair  success,"  replied 
Frank. 

"  I  congratulate  you,  Frank,"  said  Mr.  Man 
ning.  "  Your  energy  and  enterprise  are  credit 
able — extremely  creditable.  I  always  pre 
dicted  that  you  would  succeed — didn't  I, 
Mark?" 

"  I  don't  remember  hearing  you  say  so,"  said 
Mark. 

Mr.  Manning  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Nevertheless,"  he  said,  "  I  have  often  made 
the  remark." 

"  Where  do  you  live?  "  asked  Mark. 

"  I  board  in  Clinton  Place." 

"  A  very  respectable  street,"  said  Mr.  Man 
ning. 

Frank  now  thought  it  was  his  turn  to  be 
come  questioner. 

"  How  long  do  you  remain  in  the  city,  Mr. 
Manning?"  he  asked. 

"  Not  long — only  a  day  or  two,"  said  his 
stepfather. 

"  We  sail  for  Europe  on  Saturday,"  inter 
posed  Mark,  "  on  the  Cunard  steamer." 

"Indeed!     I  wish  you  a  pleasant  voyage." 

"  I  am  sorry  you  won't  go  with  us,  Frank," 
said  his  stepfather,  cautiously.  "  You  remem 
ber  I  gave  you  the  chance  to  do  so,  ..and  you 


Making  His  Way.  171 

'desired  to  devote  yourself  immediately  to  busi 
ness." 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  would  rather  remain  in  New 
York." 

"  It  might  possibly  be  arranged  now,  if  you 
desire  to  go,"  said  Mr.  Manning,  hesitatingly. 

"  No,  thank  you,  sir." 

"  Well,  perhaps  you  are  right,"  said  his  step 
father,  considerably  relieved. 

"  What  parts  of  Europe  do  you  expect  to 
visit?  "  asked  Frank. 

"  We  shall  visit  England,  France,  the  Rhine, 
Switzerland,  and  perhaps  Italy." 

"  I  hope  you  will  enjoy  it." 

"  Thank  you ;  I  think  we  shall." 

Frank  checked  a  sigh.  It  wTas  certainly 
tantalizing.  If  he  could  travel  with  congenial 
friends,  he  felt  that  he  would  very  much  enjoy 
such  a  trip;  but  with  Mark  in  the  party  there 
would  be  little  pleasure  for  him. 

"  We  are  staying  at  the  St.  Nicholas  Hotel," 
said  Mr.  Manning.  "  I  would  invite  you  to 
come  and  dine  with  us,  but  I  have  an  engage 
ment  first,  and  don't  know  when  we  shall 
dine." 

"  Thank  you,  all  the  same,"  said  Frank. 

They  had  reached  the  New  York  side, 
and  were  walking  toward  Broadway.  It  was 
necessary  for  Frank  to  go  to  the  tea  store,  and 
he  took  leave  of  his  stepfather  and  Mark,  again 
wishing  them  a  pleasant  voyage. 

"  I  hate  that  boy ! "  said  Mark,  as  they 
walked  away. 


172  Making  His  Way. 

"  You  should  not  indulge  in  any  such  dis 
agreeable  feelings,  Mark,"  said  his  father. 

"Don't  you  hate  him?" 

"  Certainly  not." 

"  One  would  think  by  your  soft  manner  that 
you  loved  him,"  said  Mark,  who  was  not  noted 
for  the  respect  with  which  he  treated  his  father. 

"  Really,  Mark,  I  am  shocked  by  your 
strange  words." 

"  What  made  you  invite  him  to  go  to  Europe 
with  us?" 

"  I  knew  he  would  not  go." 

"  He  might  have  accepted,  and  then  we 
should  have  been  in  a  pretty  pickle." 

"Mark,"  said  his  father,  rather  irritated, 
"  will  you  be  kind  enough  to  leave  me  to  man 
age  my  own -affairs?  I  believe  I  have  suc 
ceeded  pretty  well  so  far." 

"Yes,  you  have,"  Mark  admitted.  "All 
the  same,  we'd  better  keep  clear  of  Frank  till 
we  get  safely  off  on  the  steamer." 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

A  SERIOUS  LOSS. 

AMONG  the  boarders  at  Mrs.  Fletcher's  we 
have  already  named  a  bookkeeper.  About  a 
week  after  Frank's  arrival,  he  left  the  house, 
and  went  further  uptown.  His  place  was  sup 
plied  by  a  thin,  Tlark-complexioned  young  man, 
who  gave  his  name  as  Herbert  Montgomery. 
He  said,  indefinitely,  that  he  was  employed  in 


Making  His  Way.  173 

the  lower  part  of  the  city,  but  was  not  com 
municative  as  to  details. 

This  young  man's  room  was  on  the  same 
floor  as  Frank's,  and  he  soon  manifested  a 
desire  to  become  intimate  with  our  hero. 

On  the  third  day  his  intimacy  went  so  far 
that  he  asked  Frank  to  lend  him  five  dollars. 

Now,  Frank  did  not  feel  in  a  position  to  lend 
any  one  five  dollars.  Though  lie  worked  stead 
ily  every  day,  he  found  that  his  necessary  ex 
penses  were  making  inroads  upon  his  scanty 
reserve  fund.  Moreover,  he  was  not  attracted 
by  Montgomery,  and  only  responded  to  his 
advances  to  the  extent  required  by  politeness. 

"  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  accommodate  you,  Mr. 
Montgomery/'  replied  Frank. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  you  haven't  got 
five  dollars?"  said  Montgomery. 

"  I  have  got  it,  but  I  can't  lend  it." 

"Why  not?" 

"  It  would  not  be  convenient." 

"  You  think  you  won't  get  it  back,  but  you 
shall  have  it  to-morrow  night." 

Frank  could  be  firm  wrhen  he  chose  to  be, 
and  he  repeated  his  refusal. 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  should  be  so  disoblig 
ing,"  said  the  young  man,  offended. 

"  In  the  first  place,  it  would  not  be  conven 
ient,  and  in  the  second,  you  are  almost  a 
stranger  to  me.  Three  days  since  I  had  never 
met  you. 

"  Oh,  if  you   think   I  am  dishonest,"  said 


174  Making  His  Way. 

Montgomery,  in  a  tone  of  vexation,  "  I  can 
only  say  that  I  thank  you  for  the  compli 
ment  !  " 

"  I  have  not  accused  you  of  dishonesty," 
said  Frank,  calmly ;  "  but  still  we  are  only 
acquaintances.  What  little  money  I  have  I 
am  likely  to  need,  for  I  am  not  yet  earning 
enough  to  pay  my  expenses." 

"  Oh,  well,  drop  the  matter ! "  said  Mont 
gomery,  checking  himself  suddenly.  "  Sup 
pose  we  go  out  and  have  a  game  of  billiards." 

"  Thank  you,  but  I  can't  afford  it." 

"  I'll  go  with  you,"  said  Preston,  who  over 
heard  this  proposal.  "  It  is  my  evening  off, 
and  I'm  in  for  a  good  time." 

"  Lend  me  five  dollars,  Preston — there's  a 
good  fellow,"  said  Montgomery,  transferring 
his  attentions  to  the  salesman. 

"  Do  you  take  nie  for  a  millionaire,  or  do  I 
look  as  if  I  had  come  in  for  a  legacy?"  said 
Preston,  jocularly. 

Nevertheless,  before  the  evening  was  over 
he  had  paid  out  a  dollar  for  billiards  and  lent 
his  companion  two  dollars  besides. 

"  Preston,  you're  a  good  fellow,"  said  Mont 
gomery.  "  You're  not  so  mean  as  Courtney. 
I  can't  get -a  cent  out  of  the  fellow,  though  I 
promised  to  pay  him  to-morrow  evening.  I 
suppose  he's  got  money?  " 

"  Oh,  yes ;  he  brought  a  supply  of  money 
with  to  fall  back  upon,  in  case  his  business 
didn't  pay!" 


Making  His  Way.  175 

"  I  suppose  he  keeps  it  in  the  savings-bank," 
said  Montgomery,  carelessly. 

"  Oh,  no,  I  guess  not !  He  probably  keeps 
it  in  his  trunk.  That's  where  I  would  keep 
my  money,  if  I  had  any  to  keep." 

It  may  be  mentioned  here  that,  though 
Frank  had  not  brought  a  trunk  with  him  to 
the  city,  he  had  since  sent  for  his  trunk  and 
some  extra  clothing,  which  had  been  forwarded 
from  the  Cedars  by  his  stepfather. 

I  do  not  intend  to  keep  my  readers  in  doubt 
as  to  the  true  character  of  Herbert  Montgom 
ery.  He  had  no  real  business,  and  made  a 
precarious  living  by  running  up  bills  at  board 
ing  houses,  of  which  he  paid  as  small  a  part 
as  possible,  and  in  levying  tribute  upon  all 
his  acquaintances  by  borrowing  money,  either 
with  or  without  leave.  Had  Frank  lent  him 
the  five  dollars  he  asked  for  it  would  never 
have  been  returned. 

He  was  interested  in  Preston's  statement 
about  Frank's  reserve  fund,  and  instantly  be 
gan  to  consider  how  he  could  appropriate  it 
to  his  own  use. 

The  next  morning  he  rose  late,  and  did  not 
breakfast  till  after  Frank  had  gone  downtown. 
Then  he  went  leisurely  to  his  room,  and,  seeing 
the  coast  clear,  entered  our  hero's  bedroom. 

Closing  the  door  and  bolting  it,  he  kneeled 
down  by  Frank's  trunk,  and,  drawing  a  bunch 
of  keys  from  his  pocket,  tried  one  after  the 
other  till  he  found  one  that  would  fit.  With 


176  Making  His  Way. 

an  exulting  glance  he  lifted  the  lid  and  began 
to  explore  the  contents. 

At  last  he  found  a  pocket-book,  and,  hastily 
thrusting  it  into  his  pocket,  shut  the  trunk  and 
relocked  it.  He  had  now  accomplished  what 
he  intended,  and,  drawing  the  bolt,  stepped  out 
into  the  hall  just  as  the  chambermaid  came 
up  to  put  it  in  order.  The  girl  looked  at  him 
in  surprise. 

"  I  was  looking-for  a  book  which  Mr.  Court 
ney  promised  to  lend  me,"  he  said,  rather  em 
barrassed. 

"What  made  him  lock  himself  up,  then?" 
thought  the  girl.  "  I  think  he  was  there  for 
no  good." 

Montgomery  was  a  good  deal  annoyed  by 
this  encounter.  Should  Frank  miss  his  money, 
it  would  cast  suspicion  upon  him.  He  re 
paired  to  his  own  room,  and,  opening  the 
pocket-book,  discovered  to  his  satisfaction  that 
it  contained  thirty-five  dollars. 

"  Mrs.  Fletcher,"  he  said  to  the  landlady, 
five  minutes  later,  as  he  descended  the  stairs 
with  his  valise  in  his  hand,  "  I  am  obliged  to 
go  to  Boston  on  business.  I  shall  be  back  in 
a  day  or  two.  If  any  letters  or  parcels  come 
for  me,  will  you  be  obliging  enough  to  keep 
them  for  me?  " 

"  Certainly,  Mr.  Montgomery.  No  bad 
news,  I  hope?  " 

"  Oh,  no ;  only  a  little  business  trip,"  said 
Montgomery.  "  I  am  often  called  there." 


Making  His  Way.  177 

He  left  the  house,  leaving  the  landlady  quite 
unsuspicious  of  his  reasons  for  going.  It  is 
hardly  necessary  to  say  that  he  did  not  go  to 
Boston,  nor  did  he  again  return  to  the  board 
ing-house  in  Clinton  Place. 

Meanwhile,  unlucky  Frank,  quite  uncon 
scious  of  his  serious  loss,  was  trying  to  sell  tea 
in  Harlem. 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

A  DISCOURAGING  DAY. 

SELDOM  had  Frank  had  a  more  discouraging 
day.  Of  course  he  knew  nothing  of  the  people 
who  lived  in  the  houses  lining  the  streets 
through  which  he  passed.  He  might  hit  a 
good  customer,  but  it  was  very  much  a  matter 
of  chance.  He  was  more  likely  to  find  himself 
regarded  coldly  and  unfavorably. 

There  was  another  obstacle  of  which  he  soon 
heard. 

At  one  house,  a  middle-aged  lady  came  to  the 
door,  whose  face  indicated  a  temper  very  easily 
disturbed. 

"  Madam,"  said  Frank,  politely,  "  I  should 
like  to  sell  you  some  tea." 

"  I  dare  say  you  would,"  returned  the  lady, 
in  no  friendly  tone.  "  So  you  are  a  tea  ped 
dler,  are  you?  " 

Frank  did  not  exactly  like  the  name  of  ped 
dler,  for  in  his  mind  it  was  connected  with 
unpleasant  associations.  Still,  he  could  not 
refuse  to  be  called  so. 


178  Making  His  Way. 

"  I  suppose  I  am,"  he  answered. 

"  You  suppose  you  are !  Don't  you  know?  " 
said  the  lady,  sharply. 

"  I  deal  in  tea,"  said  Frank,  rather  offended. 

"  Who  sends  you  out?  Who  do  you  work 
for?" 

"  The  Great  Pekin  Tea  Company." 

"  You  do,  hey !    I  thought  so !  " 

"What  made  you  think  so?"  Frank  could 
not  help  asking. 

"  Fll  tell  you  why,"  said  the  lady,  aggres 
sively.  "  You're  the  same  one  that  came  here 
and  sold  me  one  of  your  poorest  kinds  of  tea 
at  seventy-five  cents  a  pound.  It  was  an  out 
rage  and  a  swindle!  I  didn't  know  you  at 
first,  because  I  am  near-sighted.  And  now 
what  have  you  got  to  say  for  yourself,  hey?  " 

Frank  was  taken  aback  by  this  unexpected 
accusation,  and  looked  at  the  lady  in  surprise. 

"  What  are  you  staring  at,  hey?  You 
thought  I  Wouldn't  know  you,  but  you  are 
mistaken." 

"  Madam,"  said  Frank,  recovering  himself, 
"  if  you  have  been  imposed  upon,  I  am  sorry, 
but  you  must  not  charge  me  with  it.  This  is 
my  first  visit  to  Harlem,  and  I  have  never  seen 
you  before  in  my  life?" 

"  Do  you  expect  me  to  believe  that  story, 
young  man?  " 

"  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  telling  lies,"  an 
swered  Frank,  with  dignity. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  you  have  never  been 
in  Harlem  before?" 


Making  His  Way.  179 

"Yes,  I  do!" 

"  Priscilla ! "  called  the  lady,  raising  her 
voice. 

In  answer,  a  girl  about  eighteen,  her  daugh 
ter,  eanie  downstairs. 

"  What's  wanted,  mother?  " 

"  You  remember  that  tea  peddler  that 
cheated  me  so  a  month  ago?  " 

"  Yes,  mother." 

"  Take  a  good  look  at  this  fellow,  and  tell  me 
if  it  is  the  same  one." 

"  Certainly  not,  mother.  This  is  a  boy,  and 
that  was  a  young  man  with  a  mustache." 

"  Are  you  sure  of  it?  " 

"  Certainly  I  am." 

"  I  may  be  mistaken,"  said  the  lady,  still 
glaring  unpleasantly  at  Frank,  "  but  I  am  not 
sure  of  it.  Likely  as  not  my  daughter  is  mis 
taken  and  you  are  the  same  fellow  after  all. 
At  any  rate,  you  have  probably  played  the 
same  trick  upon  others." 

"  Oh,  mother,  how  can  you  talk  so?  "  expos 
tulated  Priscilla.  "  He  looks  like  a  very  nice 
boy,  I  am  sure." 

"  Thank  you,  miss,  for  your  good  opinion," 
said  Frank,  turning  to  the  daughter.  "  I 
would  not  willingly  play  a  trick  on  your 
mother  or  any  one  else." 

"  You  may  believe  him  if  you  want  to  Pris 
cilla,"  said  her  obdurate  mother,  "  but  I've 
had  more  experience  than  you,  and  I  wouldn't 
trust  a  peddler?  however  soft-spoken,  he  was. 


180  Making  His  Way. 

You  may  go  away,  young  man,  and  you  needn't 
trouble  yourself  to  call  here  again." 

"  I  certainly  won't,  madam,"  said  Frank, 
noticing  the  number  of  the  house  and  mentally 
recording  it. 

Frank  walked  away,  indignant  and  a  little 
discouraged. 

"  Certainly,"  he  thought,  "  there  are  some 
disagreeable  people  in  the  world,  and  I  have 
met  a  specimen.  Her  daughter  looked 
ashamed  of  her,  and  I  don't  wonder  at  it.  I 
don't  believe  all  the  people  in  Harlem  are  as 
unpleasant." 

This  was  shown  to  be  correct  by  the  next 
lady  he  met. 

She  did  not  buy  any  tea,  to  be  sure,  but 
seemed  sorry  that  she  was  already  well 
supplied,  and  questioned  Frank  as  to  what 
success  he  was  meeting  with. 

Frank  mentioned  the  reception  he  had  met 
with  from  the  lady  next  door. 

"  She  is  a  very  disagreeable  woman,"  said 
her  neighbor.  "  No  one  likes  her.  Agents 
stand  a  poor  chance  with  her.  One  day  last 
week  I  saw  her  chase  one  out  with  a  broom." 

"  Then  I  suppose  I  am  lucky  to  have  gotten 
off  so  well,"  said  Frank,  smiling. 

"  Yes,  you  were.  If  you  should  be  in  Har 
lem  two  or  three  weeks  from  now,  I  may  want 
some  tea." 

"  Thank  you !  " 

.When  twelve  o'clock  came,  Frank  had  not 


Making  His  Way.  181 

sold  a  single  pound.  Even  if  he  earned  noth 
ing,  however,  he  had  an  appetite  and  must  buy 
lunch. 

He  entered  a  small  oyster  saloon,  and  went 
up  to  the  proprietor. 

"  Can  I  sell  you  some  tea?  "  he  asked. 

"  No,  I  guess  not.    I  get  my  tea  in  Harlem." 

"  Take  a  couple  of  pounds,"  said  Frank, 
"  and  I  will  take  part  of  the  pay  in  lunch." 

"  That  is  business,"  said  the  other.  "  Let 
me  look  at  your  tea." 

Frank  showed  him  his  samples. 

"  Who  employs  you?  " 

"  The  Great  Pekin  Tea  Company." 

"  They  have  a  good  name.  Yes,  I  will  try  a 
couple  of  pounds  at  fifty  cents." 

This,  of  course,  came  to  a  dollar,  and 
Frank's  profit  on  the  sale  amounted  to  twenty 
cents.  This  was  precisely  the  cost  of  the  lunch 
which  he  ordered,  so  that  he  felt  well  satisfied 
with  the  arrangement. 

He  left  the  saloon  in  better  spirits,  and  re 
sumed  his  travels  from  house  to  house. 

I  am  sorry  to  say,  however,  that  though  he 
certainly  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost  in  the 
interests  of  the  Great  Pekin  Tea  Company  and 
his  own,  he  did  not  sell  another  pound  of  tea 
that  day. 

About  three  o'clock  he  got  on  board  a  Third 
Avenue  horse  car,  bound  downtown,  and  sat 
quietly  down  in  a  corner. 

"  Harlem  doesn't  seem  to  be  a  very  promis- 


1 82  Making  His  Way. 

ing  field  for  an  agent,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  Perhaps  it  isn't  fair  to  judge  it  by  the  first 
day.  Still,  I  don't  think  I  shall  have  courage 
to  come  here  to-morrow.  I  would  rather  go 
to  Jersey  City  or  Brooklyn." 

Frank  got  off  the  cars  at  the  Bible  House 
and  walked  to  his  boarding-house,  where  a 
disagreeable  surprise  was  in  store  for  him. 


CHAPTEE  XXVIII. 

FRANK  DISCOVERS  HIS  LOSS. 

FRANK  rang  the  bell,  finding  that  he  had 
forgotten  to  take  his  pass-key  with  him. 
.     The  door  was  opened  by  the  same  girl  who 
had  detected  Montgomery  in  Frank's  room. 

Frank  always  treated  servants  considerately, 
and  Katy  therefore  felt  well  disposed  toward 
him.  She  thought  she  ought  to  tell  him  of  the 
morning's  incident. 

"  Mr.  Courtney,"  she  said,  as  Frank  was 
about  to  ascend  the  stairs,  "  did  you  offer  to 
lend  Mr.  Montgomery  a  book?  " 

"  No/,"'  answered  Frank,  in  surprise. 
"  What  makes  you  ask?  " 

"  I  found  him  in  your  room  this  morning, 
with  the  door  shut.  He  looked  suspicious-like, 
but  said  he  was  after  a  book  you  promised  to 
lend  him." 

"  That  is  strange,"  said  our  hero.  "  I  have 
no  books  with  me — at  any  rate,  none  he  would 
care  to  borrow.  I  must  ask  him  what  it 
means." 


Making  His  Way.  183 

"You  can't  do  that,  Mr.  Courtney,"  said 
Katy. 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  he's  took  his  carpetbag  and  gone 
to  Boston.  He  started  off  just  after  he  left 
your  room.  I  hope  he  hasn't  took  anything." 

Katy's  education  had  been  neglected,  and  her 
language,  as  I  hope  my  young  readers  will 
perceive  for  themselves,  was  not  strictly  gram 
matical. 

Frank  did  not  think  of  that,  however.  He 
had  something  else  to  think  about. 

"  All  my  money  was  in  my  trunk,"  flashed 
through  his  mind. 

He  hastily  thanked  Katy  for  her  informa 
tion,  and  went  upstairs  two  steps  at  a  time.* 
Reaching  his  room,  he  drew  his  key  from  his 
pocket  and  unlocked  his  trunk.  He  could  see 
that  the  contents  had  been  disturbed,  for  he 
was  neat  and  orderly  in  his  arrangements, 
and  now  the  contents  seemed  huddled  up  to 
gether.  He  thrust  his  hand  into  the  corner 
where  he  had  placed  his  pocketbook,  but  his 
worst  fears  were  confirmed.  The  pocketbook 
was  gone ! 

Frank  sat  back  in  a  chair,  and  his  heart 
beat  rapidly,  as  he  hastily  reviewed  the  posi 
tion  in  which  he  stood. 

He  was  not  quite  penniless,  but  nearly  so. 
lie  opened  his  purse  and  examined  the  con 
tents.  He  found  that  his  available  resources 
amounted  to  about  two  dollars  and  a  half. 


184  Making  His  Way. 

This  would  not  have  been  so  discouraging,  had 
he  been  earning  his  expenses,  but,  as  we  know, 
he  had  not  done  this  from  the  first.  In  four 
days  a  week's  board  would  be  due  to  Mrs. 
Fletcher,  or,  more  properly,  the  advance  pay 
ment  for  the  next  week. 

"  What  shall  I  do?  "  poor  Frank  asked  him 
self. 

He  had  been  trained  to  scrupulous  honesty 
in  money  matters,  and  the  thought  that  he 
might  find  himself  unable  to  meet  his  obliga 
tions  struck  him  with  dismay. 

"  What  will  Mrs.  Fletcher  think?  "  he  asked 
himself.  "  She  may  think  that  I  am  dishonest. 
Perhaps  she  may  not  believe  that  I  have  been 
robbed,  but  have  only  invented  the  story  to 
impose  upon  her." 

In  this  supposition,  however,  Frank  did  both 
timself  and  Mrs.  Fletcher  injustice,  as  he  found 
when  he  communicated  his  loss  to  her,  just  be 
fore  the  evening  meal.  She  exhibited  great 
concern,  and  asked : 

"  Will  this  inconvenience  you  very  much, 
Mr.  Courtney?" 

"  I  am  afraid  it  will,"  Frank  answered, 
soberly. 

"  It  is  a  shame,  I  declare ! "  said  the  land 
lady.  "  I  never  did  like  that  Montgomery,  and 
I  ought  to  have  asked  for  references  when  he 
came  here.  If  I  had,  it  would  have  been  better 
for  you." 

"  Katy  tells  me  that  he  has  gone  away," 


Making  His  Way.  185 

"Yes;  lie  told  me  that  he  was  going  to 
Boston,  but  a  man  that  will  steal  will  tell  lies. 
I  don't  believe  he  has  gone  there.  If  he  has 
gone  anywhere,  he  has  gone  in  a  different  direc 
tion." 

In  spite  of  his  limited  experience,  Frank 
could  see  that  this  was  probably  the  case. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  it  is  rather  hard  on  me, 
but  I  must  see  what  I.  can  do." 

"  I  want  to  say,  Mr.  Courtney,"  said  the 
warm-hearted  landlady,  "  that  I  will  give  you 
plenty  of  time.  You  can  stay  on,  and  pay  me 
when  you  are  able.  I  am  sure  I  can  trust 
you." 

"  Thank  you,  ""Mrs.  Fletcher !  "  Frank  said, 
brightening  up  at  these  words  of  trust  and  en 
couragement.  "  I  am  much  obliged  to  you, 
whether  I  need  the  accommodation  or  not.  I 
can  assure  you  that  you  will  run  no  risk,  as  I 
have  friends  that  I  can  call  upon  in  case  of 
necessity." 

He  referred  to  the  gentleman  who  had  pur 
chased  Ajax,  and  who  had  authorized  him  to 
draw  upon  him  in  time  of  need. 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

PERPLEXITY. 

THE  night  brought  perplexity  to  Frank,  but 
not  discouragement.  He  was  naturally  hope 
ful,  and,  in  a  large  city  like  New  York,  he  felt 
that  there  are  always  chances  of  obtaining  em 
ployment,  provided  he  could  maintain  his 


1 86  Making  His  Way. 

position,  as  he  would  have  been  able  to  do  if  he 
had  not  lost  the  thirty-five  dollars  which  his 
fellow  boarder  had  stolen.  Now,  however,  cir 
cumstances  were  materially  changed. 

One  thing  was  tolerably  clear  to  Frank,  and 
this  was,  that  he  must  give  up  his  agency.  He 
had  tried  it,  and  been  unsuccessful.  That  is, 
he  had  failed  to  earn  money  enough  to  sup 
port  himself,  and  this  was  necessary. 

As  to  what  he  should  take  up  next,  Frank 
was  quite  in  the  dark.  As  a  boy  in  a  counting- 
room  he  would  be  paid  not  more  than  four  dol 
lars  a  week,  if  he  could  gain  such  a  situation, 
which  was  by  no  means  certain. 

The  more  he  thought  about  the  matter  the 
more  perplexed  he  felt,  and  it  was  in  an  un 
comfortable  frame  of  mind  that  he  came  down 
to  breakfast  the  next  morning. 

By  this  time  Frank's  loss  was  made  known 
to  his  fellow  boarders. 

"  Have  you  heard  anything  of  your  friend 
Montgomery?  "  asked  Preston. 

"  I  don't  think  he  has  treated  me  as  a 
friend,"  said  Frank.  "  I  don't  believe  we  shall 
see  him  again  very  soon." 

"  He  owes  me  two  dollars,"  said  Preston. 
"  I'll  sell  the  debt  cheap." 

"  You  won't  get  any  bidders,  Mr.  Preston," 
said  Mrs.  Fletcher.  "  You  are  lucky  to  get  off 
so  cheap,  in  my  opinion." 

"  I  begin  to  think  so  myself.  What  are  you 
going  to  do  about  it,  Mr.  Courtney?  " 


Making  His  Way.  187 

"  I  suppose  I  can  do  nothing.  Montgomery 
has  probably  left  the  city." 

Frank  told  no  one  how  near  he  was  to  the 
bottom  of  his  purse.  He  did  not  care  to  bor 
row  money,  even  if  he  had  been  able  to  do  so. 

He  went  out  as  usual  after  breakfast  and 
then  walked  leisurely  downtown.  He  pro 
posed  to  go  to  the  shop  of  the  Great  Pekin  Tea 
Company  and  resign  his  agency.  He  was  on 
the  watch  during  his  walk  for  any  oppor 
tunities  to  repair  his  unlucky  loss : 

At  one  place  he  saw  a  notice : 

"  BOY  WANTED.'7 

Though  he  felt  sure  the  compensation  would 
not  be  sufficient  to  allow  of  his  accepting  it,  he 
thought  it  would  do  no  harm  to  make  inquiry, 
and  accordingly  entered. 

It  was  an  extensive  retail  store,  where  a 
large  number  of  clerks  were  employed. 

"  Is  a  boy  wanted  here?  "  asked  Frank  of  the 
nearest  salesman. 

"  Yes.     You  may  inquire  at  the  desk." 

He  pointed  to  a  desk  some  distance  back, 
and  Frank  went  up  to  it. 

"  You  advertise  for  a  boy,"  he  said  to  a  tall, 
stout  man,  who  chanced  to  be  the  proprietor. 
"  Is  the  place  filled." 

"  No,"  was  the  answer ;  "  but  I  don't  think  it 
would  suit  you." 

"  Do  you  think  I  would  not  be  competent, 
sir?  " 


1 88  Making  His  Way. 

"  No,  that  is  not  the  difficulty.  It  would  not 
be  worth  your  acceptance." 

"  May  I  inquire  what  are  the  duties,  sir?  " 

"  We  want  a  boy  to  open  the  door  to  cus 
tomers,  and  this  would  not  be  worth  your 
accepting/' 

"  No,'  sir.  Thank  you  for  explaining  it  to 
me." 

The  gentleman  was  favorably  impressed  by 
Frank's  polite  and  gentlemanly  manners. 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  place  for  you,"  he  said. 
"  Have  you  ever  had  any  experience  in  our  line 
of  business?  " 

"No,  sir;  I  have  had  very  little  experience 
of  any  kind.  I  have  acted  for  a  short  time  as 
agent  for  a  tea  company." 

"  You  may  leave  your  name  if  you  like,  and  I 
will  communicate  with  you  if  I  have  a  vacancy 
which  you  can  fill." 

Frank  thanked  the  polite  proprietor  and 
walked  out  of  the  store. 

Though  this  is  a  story  written  for  boys,  it 
may  be  read  by  some  business  men,  who  will 
allow  me  to  suggest  that  a  refusal  kindly  and 
considerately  expressed  loses  half  its  bitter 
ness,  and  often  inspires  hope,  instead  of  dis 
couragement. 

Frank  proceeded  to  the  office  of  the  tea  com 
pany  and  formally  resigned  his  agency.  He 
was  told  that  he  could  resume  it  whenever  he 
pleased. 

Leaving  the  store,  he  walked  down  Broad 
way  in  the  direction  of  Wall  Street. 


Making  His  Way.  189 

He  passed  an  elderly  man,  with  stooping 
shoulders  and  a  gait  which  showed  that  he  was 
accustomed  to  live  in  the  country. 

He  was  looking  about  him  in  rather  an  un 
decided  way.  His  glance  happened  to  rest  on 
Frank,  and,  after  a  little  hesitation,  he  ad 
dressed  him. 

"  Boy,"  he  said,  "  do  you  live  around  here?  " 

"  I  live  in  the  city,  sir." 

"  Then  I  guess  you  can  tell  me  what  I  want 
to  know." 

"  I  will  if  I  can,  sir,"  said  Frank,  politely. 

"  Whereabouts  is  Wall  Street?  " 

"  Close  by,  sir.  I  am  going  that  way,  and 
will  be  happy  to  show  you." 

Frank  had  no  idea  his  compliance  with  the 
stranger's  request  was  likely  to  have  an  im 
portant  effect  upon  his  fortunes. 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

FRANK    HEARS   SOMETHING   TO    HIS    ADVANTAGE. 

"  MY  name,"  said  the  stranger,  "  is  Peters — 
Jonathan  Peters,  of  Craneville,  Onondaga 
County.  I  am  a  farmer,  and  don't  know  much 
about  New  York.  I've  got  a  few  hundred  dol 
lars  that  I  want  to  put  into  government  bonds." 

"  All  right,"  said  Frank,  "  there  won't  be 
any  difficulty  about  it." 

"  I've  heerd  there  are  a  good  many  swindlers 
in  New  York,"  continued  Mr.  Peters.  "  The 
squire — Squire  Jackson,  of  our  village — per 
haps  you  may  have  heard  of  him?  " 


190  Making  His  Way. 

"  I  don't  think  I  have,  Mr.  Peters." 

"  Well,  the  squire  told  me  I'd  better  take 
good  keer  of  ray  money,  as  there  were  plenty  of 
rascals  here  who  would  try  to  cheat  me  out  of 
it." 

"  That  is  true,  Mr.  Peters.  Only  yesterday  I 
was  robbed  of  thirty-five  dollars  by  a  man  who 
boarded  in  the  same  house." 

"  You  don't  say  so?  " 

"  He  opened  my  trunk  and  took  out  my 
pocketbook  while  I  was  absent  on  business." 

"  I  wouldn't  dare  to  live  in  York !  "  said  the 
farmer,  whose  apprehensions  were  increased  by 
Frank's  story. 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  the  office  of 
Jones  &  Robinson,  with  whom,  it  will  be  re 
membered,  Frank  had  once  before  had  deal 
ings. 

"  If  you  will  come  in  here,  Mr.  Peters,"  said 
our  hero,  "  you  will  be  sure  of  honorable  treat 
ment.  I  will  introduce  you  if  you  like." 

"  I  should  be  obleeged  if  you  would,"  said 
the  farmer.  "  Out  in  Craneville  I  am  to  home, 
but  I  ain't  used  to  York  business  men,  and 
don't  know  how  to  talk  to  them." 

It  pleased  Frank  to  find  that,  in  spite  of  his 
inexperience,  he  was  able  to  be  of  service  to 
one  more  unaccustomed  than  himself  to  city 
scenes  and  city  ways. 

He  walked  up  to  the  counter,  followed  by  the 
farmer,  and  said : 

"  This  gentleman  wishes  to  buy  some  govern- 


Making  His  Way.  191 

ment  bonds.  I  told  him  that  he  could  transact 
his  business  here." 

"  Thank  you !  Mr.  Benton,  you  may  attend 
to  this  gentleman." 

Frank  was  about  to  leave  the  office,  when 
Mr.  Robinson  called  him  back. 

"  You  have  been  in  the  office  before,  have 
you  not?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Are  you  not  the  boy  who  assisted  in  the 
capture  of  the  man  who  robbed  Mr.  Henry 
Percival,  of  Madison  Avenue?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  I  thought  so.  I  have  been  trying  to  find 
you  for  the  last  week." 

Naturally  Frank  looked  surprised. 

"  Mr.  Henry  Percival  was  at  that  time  in 
Europe,"  said  Mr.  Eobinson.  "  On  his  return, 
a  week  since,  he  called  on  us,  and  expressed  a 
desire  to  have  you  call  upon  him.  We  had 
mislaid  or  lost  your  address,  and  were  unable 
to  give  him  the  information  he  desired." 

Frank's  heart  beat  high  with  hope  as  the 
broker  spoke. 

"  Perhaps,"  he  thought,  "  Mr.  Percival  may 
offer  me  a  situation  of  some  kind,  and  I  cer 
tainly  am  greatly  in  need  of  one." 

"  Did  Mr.  Percival  recover  all  his  bonds?  " 
he  asked. 

"  Nearly  all,"  answered  Mr.  Robinson.  "  He 
considered  himself  exceedingly  fortunate,  and 
he  certainly  was  so. 


192  Making  His  Way. 

"  Do  you  know  how  much  he  was  robbed 
of?  "  asked  Frank. 

"  Rather  over  five  thousand  dollars.  Of  this 
sum  all  has  been  recovered  except  three  bonds 
of  a  hundred  dollars  each.  Mr.  Percival  is  a 
rich  man,  and  he  wron't  miss  that  small 
amount." 

"  I  wish  I  were  rich  enough  not  to  miss  three 
hundred  dollars,"  thought  our  hero.  "If  I 
had  my  rights,  I  could  say  the  same." 

Just  now,  in  his  extremity,  Frank  thought 
regretfully  of  the  fortune  he  had  lost.  Had 
he  been  so  situated  as  to  be  earning  enough  to 
defray  all  his  expenses,  he  would  scarcely  have 
given  a  thought  of  it. 

"  You  had  better  go  up  to  see  Mr.  Percival 
this  evening,"  said  the  banker,  "  if  you  have  no 
other  engagement," 

"  Even  if  I  had  an  engagement,  I  would  put 
it  off,"  said  Frank.  "  Will  you  give  me  Mr. 
PercivaFs  number?  " 

"  No.  265,"  said  Mr.  Robinson. 

Frank  noted  it  down  and  left  the  office.  By 
this  time  Mr.  Peters  had  completed  his  busi 
ness,  and  was  ready  to  go  out,  also. 

"  I'm  much  obliged  to  you,"  he  said  to  Frank. 
"  I  was  afraid  I'd  get  into  a  place  where  they'd 
cheat  me.  I  guess  Mr.  Jones  and  Robinson  are 
pretty  good  folks." 

"  I  think  you  can  depend  upon  them,"  said 
Frank. 

"If  ever  you  come  to  Craneville,  I  should 


Making  His  Way.  193 

like  to  have  you  stay  a  few  days  with  me  on  my 
farm/7  said  Mr.  Peters,  hospitably.  "  We  are 
plain  folks,  but  will  treat  you  about  right." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Peters.  If  I  ever  come  to 
Craneville,  I  shall  certainly  call  upon  you." 

Though  Frank  was  so  near  the  end  of  his 
money,  he  had  something  to  look  forward  to  in 
his  approaching  interview  with  Mr.  Percival. 
He  had  been  able  to  do  this  gentleman  a  serv 
ice,  and  it  was  not  unlikely  that  the  capitalist 
would  wish  to  make  him  some  acknowledg 
ment.  Frank  did  not  exaggerate  his  own 
merits  in  the  matter.  He  felt  that  it  was 
largely  owing  to  a  lucky  chance  that  he  had 
been  the  means  of  capturing  the  bond  robber. 
However,  it  is  to  precisely  such  lucky  chances 
that  men  are  often  indebted  for  the  advance 
ment  of  their  fortunes. 

While  he  was  in  a  state  of  suspense,  and  un 
certain  what  Mr.  Percival  might  be  disposed  to 
do  for  him,  he  decided  not  to  exert  himself  to 
obtain  any  employment.  If  he  should  be  dis 
appointed  in  his  hopes,  it  would  be  time  enough 
to  look  about  him  the  following  day. 

What  should  he  do  in  the  meantime? 

He  determined  to  treat  himself  to  an  excur 
sion.  From  the  end  of  the  Battery  he  had 
often  looked  across  to  Staten  Island,  lying  six 
miles  away,  and  thought  it  would  prove  a  pleas 
ant  excursion.  Now,  having  plenty  of  time 
on  his  hands,  he  decided  to  go  on  board  one  of 
the  boats  that  start  hourly  from  the  piers 


194  Making  His  Way. 

adjoining  the  Battery.  The  expense  was  but 
trifling  and,  low  as  Frank's  purse  was,  he 
ventured  to  spend  the  amount  for  pleasure. 
He  felt  that  he  needed  a  little  recreation  after 
the  weeks  of  patient  labor  he  had  spent  in  the 
service  of  the  Great  Pekin  Tea  Company. 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

MR.   MONTGOMERY  TURNS  UP  AGAIN. 

IT  was  a  pleasant  day,  and  as  Frank  steamed 
out  of  the  harbor,  passed  the  fort,  but  a  mile 
distant,  and  from  the  deck  of  the  ferryboat 
observed  the  vessels  of  every  description  dart* 
ing  here  and  there  on  their  various  courses,  he 
felt  quite  cheerful. 

"  If  I  can  only  maintain  myself  here,"  he 
thought  to  himself,  "  I  shall  be  contented  and 
happy.  I  would  a  great  deal  rather  be  usefully 
employed  than  travel  in  Europe  with  Mr.  Man 
ning  and  Mark." 

The  first  landing,  about  six  miles  distant, 
was  at  New  Brighton.  The  island  looked  very 
attractive,  with  its  hilly  shores  dotted  with 
handsome  villas,  standing  in  the  midst  of  trees. 

The  boat  made  a  brief  stop  and  proceeded 
successively  to  Castleton,  Port  Richmond  and 
Elm  Park.  This  Frank  found  to  be  the  last 
stopping  place,  and  he  landed,  in  company  with 
many  others. 

A  steep  path  led  him  to  a  hotel  and  adjoin 
ing  park,  in  which  were  set  tables  for  the  ac 
commodation  of  lunching  parties.  There  were 


Making  His  Way.  195 

swings  between  tall  trees  and  other  arrange 
ments  for  the  pleasure  of  visitors.  From  the 
upper  part  of  the  inclosure  there  was  a  fine 
view  of  the  water  and  places  in  the  vicinity, 

Frank  sauntered  about,  enjoying  himself  in 
a  quiet  way.  He  assisted  to  swing  some  young 
children,  with  whom  he  became  pleasantly  ac 
quainted. 

When  the  next  boat  came  in,  Frank  idly 
watched  the  faces  of  the  passengers  as  they 
entered  the  park,  not  thinking  it  very  likely, 
however,  that  he  should  see  any  familiar  face. 
He  was  destined  to  be  surprised. 

Strolling  along,  in  a  very  complacent  mood, 
came  a  young  man  whom  he  had  good  cause  to 
remember. 

It  was  Herbert  Montgomery,  who  had  robbed 
him  of  his  little  stock  of  money. 

Frank's  face  lighted  up  with  surprise  and 
pleasure.  He  strongly  doubted  whether  he 
should  recover  any  of  his  money,  but  he  would, 
at  any  rate,  have  the  satisfaction  of  expressing 
to  Mr.  Montgomery  his  opinion  of  his  conduct. 

"  Mr.  Montgomery,"  he  said,  quietly,  "  I 
should  like  a  little  conversation  with  you." 

Montgomery  turned  suddenly.  When  he 
saw  Frank,  he  looked  startled  and  even  dis 
mayed.  But  he  quickly  recovered  his  self- 
possession,  and  decided  upon  his  course. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  my  boy,"  he  said. 
"  Were  you  addressing  me?  " 

Frank  was  a  boy,  but  to  be  addressed  in  this 


196  Making  His  Way. 

patronizing  way  by  the  man  who  had  injured 
him  did  not  suit  his  ideas. 

"  I  did  address  you,  Mr.  Montgomery,"  he 
said.  "  I  will  thank  you  to  return  me  the 
thirty-five  dollars  you  took  from  my  trunk 
without  leave.  By  so  doing,  you  will  save 
yourself  trouble.9' 

"  Boy,"  said  Montgomery,  loftily,  "  I  don't 
know  whether  you  are  drunk  or  crazy,  but  I 
am  quite  sure  you  must  be  one  or  the  other: 
What  can  induce  you  to  address  an  utter 
stranger  in  such  insulting  terms  I  cannot 
guess.  I  decline  to  have  anything  further  to 
say  to  you." 

"  An  utter  stranger ! "  repeated  Frank,  in 
the  greatest  amazement. 

"  I  repeat  that  you  are  an  utter  stranger  to 
me,"  said  Montgomery,  with  unblushing  ef 
frontery.  "  I  never,  to  my  knowledge,  set  eyes 
on  you  before  this  morning." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  deny  that  your  name  is 
Herbert  Montgomery?  "  asked  Frank. 

"  I  certainly  do.  I  never  heard  the  gentle 
man's  name  before." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  deny  that  you  have  been 
boarding  at  the  house  of  Mrs.  Fletcher,  in 
Clinton  Place?" 

"  I  certainly  do." 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Frank,  not  believing  his 
statement,  "  you  will  tell  me  what  your  name 
is?" 

"  Certainly.  My  name  is  Ephraim  Parker, 
at  your  service." 


Making  His  Way.  197 

"  How  long  has  it  been  so?  "  inquired  Frank. 

"  Young  fellow,"  said  Montgomery,  "  I  don't 
know  who  you  are,  but  you  are  certainly  very 
impertinent.  If  you  have  really  lost  any 
money,  I  am  sorry  for  you,  but  it  is  nothing  to 
me.  This  Herbert  Montgomery,  or  whatever 
his  name  may  be,  may  possibly  look  like  me. 
I  am  not  responsible  for  any  accidental  resem 
blance.  Good-morning!  and  be  careful  next 
time  before  you  insult  a  gentleman  on  an  un 
certainty." 

It  had  never  fallen  within  Frank's  experi 
ence  to  meet  a  man  so  utterly  reckless  of  truth, 
and  he  asked  himself  whether  he  might  not  be 
mistaken.  He  had  heard  of  cases  of  resem 
blance  so  great  that  people  were  mistaken  even 
by  near  friends  for  each  other.  Was  it  pos 
sible  that  the  man  before  him  was  a  case  in 
point? 

He  scanned  Montgomery's  face  carefully, 
and  detected  a  lurking  smile  of  exultation,  ac 
companied  by  a  characteristic  lifting  of  the 
eyebrow.  This  satisfied  him.  It  was  Mont 
gomery,  and  not  Parker. 

"  Mr.  Montgomery,"  he  said,  "  I  know  you 
very  well.  You  cannot  impose  upon  me.  I 
ask  you  again  to  return  me  my  money,  or  as 
much  as  you  have  left." 

"  Leave  me !  "  said  Montgomery,  angrily. 
"  I  have  had  enough  of  your  impertinence.  I 
am  a  gentleman  from  Chicago,  temporarily  in 
New  York  on  business.  I  have  wasted  time 
enough  on  you  already." 


198  Making  His  Way. 

"  Good-by  for  the  present,  Mr.  Montgomery," 
said  Frank.  "  I  think  the  time  will  come  when 
I  shall  be  able  to  unmask  you." 

Montgomery  walked  off  in  seeming  indif 
ference,  but  he  was  very  glad  to  see  Frank 
leave  by  the  next  boat. 

"  I  don't  want  to  meet  that  boy  again,"  he 
muttered.  "  It  was  a  close  shave,  and  required 
all  my  impudence  to  get  rid  of  him.  Probably 
I  had  better  leave  New  York  for  a  time." 

He  followed  Frank  back  to  the  city  by  the 
next  boat,  and  that  afternoon  embarked  on  the 
Fall  River  boat  for  Boston. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

AN  INCIDENT  IN  A  STREET  CAR. 

WHEN  Frank  returned  to  New  York  after 
his  unsatisfactory  interview  with  Montgomery, 
he  felt  annoyed  and  provoked.  To  have  lost  his 
money  was  bad  enough,  but  to  be  treated  with 
such  cool  impudence  by  the  thief  was  quite  as 
disagreeable.  Had  Montgomery  admitted  his 
guilt  and  showed  penitence,  or  pleaded  poverty, 
Frank  would  have  been  willing  to  overlook  his 
offense,  for  he  was  of  a  generous  nature;  but 
to  be  openly  denied  made  him  angry. 

Besides,  he  could  not  help  reflecting  seri 
ously  on  the  strait  he  was  in.  He  was  almost 
penniless,  and  knew  not  where  to  look  for  a 
fresh  supply  of  money.  At  the  end  of  the 
quarter  he  was  authorized  by  his  stepfather 
to  call  for  twenty-five  dollars,  but  this  was  still 


Making  His  Way.  199 

some  weeks  distant,  and  in  the  meantime  lie 
must  either  earn  enough  to  defray  his  ex 
penses  or  run  into  debt.  There  was,  however, 
one  hope — that  Mr.  Percival  might  give  him 
employment — and  this  would  probably  be  de 
cided  that  same  evening. 

WJien  Frank  reached  the  city,  he  walked 
slowly  up  through  the  Battery  to  the  foot  of 
Broadway.  He  passed  the  famous  house,  No. 
1,  which,  a  hundred  years  ago,  wras  successively 
the  headquarters  of  Washington  and  the  Bri 
tish  generals,  who  occupied  New  York  with 
their  forces,  and  soon  reached  the  Astor  House, 
then  the  most  notable  structure  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  city. 

With  his  small  means,  Frank  felt  that  it  was 
extravagant  to  ride  uptown,  when  he  might 
have  walked,  but  he  felt  some  confidence  in 
the  success  of  his  visit  to  Mr.  Percival,  and  en 
tered  a  Fourth  Avenue  horse  car.  It  so 
chanced  that  he  seated  himself  beside  a  pleas 
ant-looking  young  married  lady,  who  had  with 
her  a  young  boy  about  seven  years  old. 

Soon  after  the  car  started  the  conductor 
came  around  to  collect  the  fares. 

Frank  paid  his,  and  the  conductor  held  out 
his  hand  to  the  lady. 

She  put  her  hand  into  her  pocket  to  draw 
out  her  purse,  but  her  countenance  changed  as 
her  hand  failed  to  find  it. 

Probably  no  situation  is  more  trying  than 
to  discover  that  you  have  lost  or  mislaid  your 


20O  Making  His  Way. 

purse,  when  you  have  an  urgent  use  for  it. 
The  lady  was  evidently  in  that  predicament. 
Once  more  she  searched  for  her  purse,  but  her 
search  was  unavailing. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  have  lost  my  purse,"  she  said, 
apologetically,  to  the  conductor. 

This  official  was  an  ill-mannered  person, 
and  answered,  rudely : 

"  In  that  case,  ma'am,  you  will  have  to  get 
off." 

"  I  will  give  you  my  card,"  said  the  lady, 
"  and  will  send  double  the  fare  to  the  office." 

"  That  won't  do,"  said  the  man,  rudely.  «  I 
am  responsible  for  your  fare,  if  you  stay  on 
the  car,  and  I  can't  afford  to  lose  the  money." 

"  You  shall  not  lose  it,  sir ;  but  I  cannot 
walk  home." 

"  I  think  you  will  have  to,  madam." 

Here  Frank  interposed.  He  had  been 
trained  to  be  polite  and  considerate  to  ladies, 
and  he  could  not  endure  to  see  a  lady  treated 
with  rudeness. 

"  Take  the  lady's  fare  out  of  this,"  he  said. 

"And  the  boy's,  too?" 

"  Of  course." 

The  lady  smiled  gratefully. 

"  I  accept  your  kindness,  my  young  friend," 
she  said.  "  You  have  saved  me  much  annoy 
ance." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  have  the  opportunity," 
said  Frank,  politely. 

"  Of  course,  I  shall  insist  upon  reimbursing 


Making  His  Way.  201 

you.  Will  you  oblige  me  with  your  address, 
that  I  may  send  you  the  amount  when  I  re 
turn  home?  " 

A  boy  of  less  tact  than  Frank  would  have 
expostulated  against  repayment,  but  he  knew 
that  this  would  only  embarrass  the  lady,  and 
that  he  had  no  right,  being  a  stranger,  to  force 
such  a  favor  upon  her.  He  answered,  there 
fore: 

"  Certainly,  I  will  do  so,  but  it  will  be 
perfectly  convenient  for  me  to  call  upon  you." 

"  If  it  will  give  you  no  trouble,  I  shall  be 
glad  to  have  you  call  any  evening.  I  live  at 
No. Madison  Avenue." 

Now  it  was  Frank's  turn  to  be  surprised. 
The  number  mentioned  by  the  lady  was  that  of 
the  house  in  which  Mr.  Henry  Percival  lived. 

"  I  thought  Mr.  Percival  lived  at  that  num 
ber?  "  said  Frank. 

"  So  he  does.  He  is  my  father.  Do  you 
know  him?  " 

"  No ;  but  I  was  about  to  call  on  him.  This 
morning  Mr.  Robinson,  a  broker  in  Wall 
Street,  told  me  that  he  wished  to  see  me." 

"  You  are  not  the  boy  who  caused  the  cap 
ture  of  the  bondholder? "  asked  the  lady, 
quickly. 

"  Yes,  I  am  the  boy,  but  I  am  afraid  I  had 
less  to  do  with  it  than  has  been  represented." 

"  What  is  your  name?  " 

"  Frank  Courtney." 

"  My  father  is  very  desirous  of  meeting  you? 


2O2  Making  His  Way. 

and  thanking  you  for  what  you  have  done. 
Why  have  you  not  called  before?  " 

"  I  did  not  know  till  to-day  that  your  father 
had  returned.  Besides,  I  did  not  like  to  go 
without  an  invitation." 

"  I  will  invite  you,"  said  the  lady,  with  a 
pleasant  smile,  "  and  I,  as  well  as  my  father, 
will  be  glad  to  see  you.  And  now  let  me  intro 
duce  you  to  my  little  son.  Freddie,  would  you 
like  to  see  the  boy  that  caught  the  robber?  " 

"  Yes,  mamma." 

"  Here  he  is.    His  name  is  Frank." 

The  little  boy  immediately  began  to  ask 
questions  of  Frank,  and  by  the  time  they 
reached  the  Cooper  Institute  Frank  and  he 
were  well  acquainted. 

"  Don't  get  out,  Frank,"  said  Freddie. 

"  I  am  going  home,  Freddie." 

"  You  must  come  and  see  me  soon,"  said  the 
little  boy. 

"  Now  you  have  three  invitations,"  said  the 
lady. 

"  I  will  accept  them  all/'  said  Frank. 

And,  writh  a  bow,  he  left  the  car. 


CHAPTEE  XXXIII. 

FRANK  MAKES  AN  EVENING  CALL. 

AFTER  supper  Frank  walked  slowly  up  to 
Mr.  PercivaPs  residence.  Now  that  he  knew 
two  members  of  the  family,  he  looked  forward 
with  pleasure  to  the  call  he  was  about  to  make. 
His  prospects  seemed  much  brighter  than  when 


Making  His  Way.  203 

he  woke  up  in  the  morning,  and  the  annoyance 
of  his  meeting  with  Montgomery  was  nearly 
effaced  by  his  pleasant  encounter  in  the  horse 
car. 

On  reaching  the  house  of  Mr.  Percival,  he 
saw  at  a  glance  that  it  was  the  residence  of  a 
wealthy  man,  and  the  hall,  into  which  he  wras 
first  admitted,  was  luxurious  in  its  appearance. 
But  Frank  had  been  brought  up  to  the  enjoy 
ment  of  wealth,  and  he  felt  more  at  home  here 
than  in  the  rather  shabby  boarding-house  in 
Clinton  Place. 

A  colored  servant  opened  the  door. 

"Is  Mr.  Percival  at  home?"  he  asked. 

"  Yas,  sah." 

"  I  should  like  to  see  him." 

"What  name,  sah?" 

"  Frank  Courtney." 

"  Step  in,  sah,  and  I  will  'form  Mr.  Perci 
val,"  said  the  colored  servant,  in  a  consequen 
tial  tone  that  amused  Frank. 

Frank  stepped  into  the  hall,  but  he  was  not 
left  long  without  attention.  Little  Freddie  ran 
downstairs,  eagerly  calling  out : 

"  Did  you  come  to  see  me,  Frank?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Frank,  smiling;  "but  I 
came  to  see  your  grandfather,  too." 

"  Come,  and  I  will  show  you  where  he  is," 
said  the  little  boy,  taking  Frank's  hand. 

The  two  went  up  the  staircase  and  into  a 
handsomely  furnished  room,  made  attractive 
by  pictures  and  books. 


204  Making  His  Way. 

In  a  large  armchair  sat  a  pleasant-looking 
elderly  man,  of  about  sixty.. 

"  Grandpa,"  said  the  little  boy,  "  this  is 
Frank.  He  wants  to  see  you." 

Mr.  Percival  smiled. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Frank,"  he  said.  "  It 
seems,  my  boy,  that  you  are  already  acquainted 
with  my  daughter  and  grandson." 

"  Yes,  sir.  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  meet 
them  to-day." 

"  You  relieved  my  daughter  from  some  em 
barrassment." 

"  I  am  glad  to  have  had  the  opportunity, 
sir." 

Frank's  manner  was  easy  and  self-possessed, 
and  it  was  evident  that  Mr.  Percival  was  favor 
ably  impressed  by  him. 

"  Take  a  seat,"  he  said,  "  while  I  ask  you  a 
few  questions." 

Frank  bowed  and  obeyed." 

"  Let  me  sit  in  your  lap,  Frank,"  said  Fred 
die. 

Our  hero  took  the  little  boy  in  his  lap. 

With  Freddie,  it  was  certainly  a  case  of 
friendship  at  first  sight. 

"  Won't  he  trouble  you?"  asked  his  grand 
father. 

"  No,  sir.     I  like  young  children." 

Mr.  Percival  now  proceeded  to  interrogate 
Frank. 

"  Your  name  is  Frank  Courtney.  Have  you 
been  long  in  the  city?  " 


Making  His  Way.  205 

"  No,  sir ;  only  a  few  weeks." 

"  What  led  you  to  come  here?  " 

"  I  wish  to  earn  my  own  living." 

"  Was  that  necessary?  You  do  not  look 
like  a  poor  boy." 

"  I  was  brought  up  to  consider  myself  rich," 
said  Frank. 

"  Indeed !    Did  you  lose  your  property?  " 

"  Perhaps  I  had  better  tell  you  how  it  hap 
pened,  sir." 

"  If  you  don't  object,  I  should  be  glad  to 
hear." 

Frank  gave  a  brief  statement  of  his  position, 
and  the  circumstances  that  led  him  to  leave  his 
home  and  go  out  into  the  world. 

Mr.  Percival  listened  thoughtfully. 

"  It  is  a  singular  story,"  he  said,  after  a 
pause.  "  Your  stepfather's  in  Europe,  then?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  at  least  he  sailed  for  Europe." 

"  Have  you  heard  from  him?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Do  you  expect  to  hear?  " 

"  I  think  not." 

"  He  can't  feel  much  interest  in  you." 

"  I  don't  think  he  does,"  answered  Frank. 
"  Still,  I  can't  say  that  he  has  treated  me  un 
kindly." 

"  Do  you  suspect  that  your  stepfather  has 
wronged  you  in  the  matter  of  the  property?  " 

"  I  would  rather  not  answer  that  question, 
sir.  I  might  wrong  Mr,  Manning,  and  I  have 
no  proof  to  offer." 


206  Making  His  Way. 

"  I  understand  you,  and  I  applaud  your  dis 
cretion.  It  does  you  credit.  Some  time  or 
other  the  mystery  may  be  cleared  up,  and  the 
wrong,  if  there  is  one,  may  be  righted.  I  can't 
understand,  however,  how  this  Mr.  Manning 
should  be  willing  to  leave  you  dependent  upon 
your  own  exertions  with  such  a  scanty  provis 
ion  as  twenty-five  dollars  a  quarter." 

"I  didn't  ask  for  any  more;  and,  besides, 
Mr.  Manning  offered  to  take  me  to  Europe 
with  his  son  Mark." 

"  Do  you  think  that  he  was  sincere  in  the 
offer?" 

"  I  don't  think  he  expected  me  to  accept  it, 
and  I  am  sure  that  it  would  have  been  very  dis 
agreeable  to  Mark  to  have  me  in  the  party." 

"  Have  you  any  objections  to  telling  me 
how  you  have  succeeded  in  your  efforts  to  make 
a  living?  "  asked  the  old  gentleman,  with  a 
keen  but  kindly  glance. 

"  I  have  been  disappointed,  sir,"  was  the 
candid  reply. 

"  I  am  not  surprised  to  hear  it.  A  boy 
brought  up  as  you  have  been  cannot  rough  it 
like  a  farmer's  son  or  a  street  boy." 

"  I  think  I  could,  sir;  but  I  should  not  like 
to." 

"  Precisely.  Now,  I  am  not  sure  that  you 
acted  wisely  in  undertaking  a  task  so  difficult, 
since  it  was  not  necessary,  and  your  step 
father  could  hardly  have  refused  to  support 
you  fit  home,.  ^  However,  as  you  have  taken  the 


Making  His  Way.  207 

decisive  step,  we  must  consider  what  is  best  to 
do  under  the  circumstances.  What  work  have 
you  been  doing?  " 

"  I  have  been  selling  tea  for  the  Great  Pekin 
Tea  Company." 

"  How  have  you  succeeded?  " 

"  I  have  not  been  able  to  pay  expenses,^ 
Frank  admitted. 

"  How  have  you  made  up  the  difference?  " 

"  I  brought  about  fifty  dollars  with  me  from 
home." 

"  Is  it  all  used  up?  " 

"  I  had  thirty-five  dollars  left,  sir,  but  a  day 
or  two  since  one  of  my  fellow  boarders  opened 
my  trunk  and  borrowed  it  without  leave." 

"  Of  course  you  won't  recover  it?  " 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  much  chance  of  it, 
sir." 

"  Then  probably  your  money  is  nearly  ex 
hausted?" 

Frank  did  not  like  to  admit  his  poverty,  but 
owned  up  that  he  had  less  than  two  dollars. 

"  And  yet  you  paid  the  car  fares  of  this  little 
boy  and  his  mother?  " 

"  I  hope,  sir,  I  would  not  refuse  to  assist  a 
lady  when  in  trouble." 

Mr.  Percival  nodded  two  or  three  times, 
smiling  as  he  did  so.  He  was  becoming  more 
and  more  favorably  impressed  with  our  young 
hero. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  continue  this  tea  agency?  " 
he  asked. 


Making  His  Way. 

"  No,  sir ;  I  have  already  notified  my  employ 
ers  that  I  do  not  care  to  continue  it." 

"  Have  you  anything  else  in  view?  " 

Frank  felt  that  now  was  the  time  to  speak. 

"  I  came  here  this  evening,"  he  said;  "  in 
tending  to  ask  you  if  you  knew  of  any  situation 
I  could  fill,  or  could  recommend  me  to  em 
ployment  of  any  kind  by  which  I  might  make 
a  living." 

"  I  must  consider  that.  Have  you  thought 
of  any  particular  employment  which  you 
would  like?  " 

"No,  sir;  I  cannot  afford  to  be  particular. 
I  will  do  anything  that  is  honest,  and  at  all 
suitable  for  me." 

"  What  would  you  consider  unsuitable?  " 

"  I  should  not  wish  to  black  boots,  for  in 
stance,  sir.  It  is  honest  work,  but  I  ought  to 
be  suited  to  something  better." 

"  Of  course !  What  education  have  you  had? 
Good,  I  suppose?  " 

"  I  am  nearly  ready  for  college." 

"  Then  you  are  already  fairly  well  educated. 
I  will  put  you  to  a  test.  Sit  up  to  the  table, 
and  take  paper  and  pen.  I  will  dictate  to  you 
a  paragraph  from  the  evening  paper,  which  I 
should  like  to  have  you  write  down." 

Frank  obeyed,  though,  in  doing  so,  he  was 
obliged  to  set  Freddie  down,  rather  to  the 
little  fellow's  dissatisfaction. 

Mr.  Percival  selected  a  short  letter,  written 
by  some  public  man,  which  chanced  to  have 
found  a  place  in  the  evening  journal* 


Making  His  Way.  209 

Frank  wrote  rapidly,  and  when  his  copy 
was  finished,  submitted  it  to  Mr.  Percival. 

The  old  gentleman  took  it,  and,  running  his 
eye  over  it,  noticed  that  it  was  plainly  written, 
correctly  spelled  and  properly  punctuated. 
This  discovery  evidently  gave  him  satisfaction. 

"  Very  creditably  written,"  he  said.  "  I  have 
known  boys  nearly  ready  for  college  who  could 
not  copy  such  a  letter  without  blundering.  I 
am  glad  that  your  English  education  has  not 
been  neglected  while  you  have  been  studying 
the  classics." 

Frank  was  gratified  by  Mr.  PercivaFs  com 
mendation,  though  he  could  not  see  in  what 
manner  his  education  was  likely  to  bring  him 
employment.  It  was  desirable,  however,  to 
produce  a  favorable  impression  on  Mr.  Perci 
val,  and  he  could  not  help  hoping  something 
would  result  to  his  advantage. 

At  this  moment  Freddie's  mother  entered  the 
room,  and  greeted  Frank  with  a  cordial  smile. 

"  Freddie,"  she  said,  "  it  is  time  for  you  to 
go  to  bed." 

"  I  don't  want  to  leave  Frank,"  said  Fred 
die. 

"  Frank  will  come  and  see  you  again." 

"Will  you,  Frank?" 

Frank  made  the  promise,  and  Mrs.  Gordon 
--for  that  was  her  name — left  the  room, 
promising  to  return  before  Frank  went  away. 

He  was  now  left  alone  with  the  old  gentle 
man. 


2io  Making  His  Way. 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

FRANK   IS   OFFERED  A   POSITION. 

MR.  PERCIVAL  engaged  Frank  in  conversa 
tion  on  general  topics  while  Mrs.  Gordon  was 
out  of  the  room.  His  young  visitor  had  been 
an  extensive  reader,  and  displayed  a  good  deal 
of  general  information.  Moreover,  he  ex 
pressed  himself  intelligently  and  modestly, 
and  deepened  the  favorable  impression  which 
he  had  already  succeeded  in  making. 

I  should  like  to  call  the  attention  of  my 
young  readers  to  the  fact  that  Frank  was  now 
reaping  the  advantage  of  the  time  he  had  de 
voted  to  study  and  the  cultivation  of  his  mind. 

A  boy  who  starts  in  life  with  a  fair  educa 
tion  always  stands  a  better  chance  than  one 
who  is  poorly  provided  in  that  respect. 

It  is  true  that  many  of  our  prominent  public 
men  have  started  with  a  tery  scanty  supply  of 
book-learning,  but  in  most  cases  it  has  only 
transferred  the  labor  of  study  to  their  maturer 
years. 

President  Andrew  Johnson  did  not  learn  to 
read  and  write  until  after  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  but  he  made  up  his  early  deficiencies 
later. 

Abraham  Lincoln,  when  nearly  thirty,  de 
voted  his  leisure  hours  to  mastering  the  prob 
lems  in  Euclid,  and  thus  trained  and  strength 
ened  his  mental  faculties  so  that  he  was  en 
abled  to  grapple  with  the  difficult  problems  of 
statesmanship  in  after  years. 


Making  His  Way.  211 

Henry  Wilson  commenced  attending  an  aca 
demy  after  he  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty- 
one. 

The  fact  is,  no  boy  or  man  can  be  too  well 
equipped  for  his  life-work. 

I  hope  my  boy  readers  will  not  skip  the 
paragraphs  above,  for  they  can  learn  from 
them  a  useful  lesson. 

When  Mrs.  Gordon  returned,  she  placed  in 
Frank's  hands  a  small  sum  of  money,  saying : 

"  Allow  me  to  repay  my  debt,  with  many 
thanks." 

"  You  arc  quite  welcome,"  answered  our 
hero. 

He  had  too  much  tact  to  refuse  the  money, 
but  quietly  put  it  into  his  pocket. 

"  Helen,"  said  Mr.  Percival,  "  I  would  like 
a  word  with  you.  We  will  leave  our  young 
friend  here  alone  for  five  minutes." 

"  Certainly,  father." 

The  two  went  into  an  adjoining  room,  and 
Mr.  Percival  commenced  by  asking: 

"  How  do  you  like  this  boy,  Helen?  " 

"  Very  much.  He  seems  to  have  been 
brought  up  as  a  gentleman." 

"  He  has.  Till  a  short  time  since  he  sup 
posed  himself  the  heir  to  a  fortune." 

"  Indeed !  "  said  Mrs.  Gordon,  with  curiosity. 

Briefly,  Mr.  Percival  rehearsed  the  story 
which  Frank  had  told  him. 

"  What  a  shame !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Gordon, 
indignantly.  "  HiR  stepfather  ought  to  be  pun 
ished." 


212  Making  His  Way. 

"  That  may  come  in  time.  Wickedness  does 
not  always  prosper.  But  as  regards  our  young 
friend,  I  have  a  plan  in  view." 

"What  is  it,  father?" 

"  I  find  he  has  an  excellent  education,  hav 
ing  been  nearly  ready  for  college  wiien  the 
crisis  in  his  fortunes  came.  I  have  been  think 
ing  whether  we  could  not  find  a  place  for  him 
in  this  house.  My  eyes,  you  know7,  are  so  weak 
that  they  are  often  strained  b£  attention  to 
my  correspondence  and  reading.  I  have  an 
idea  of  engaging  Frank  Courtney  as  a  sort  of 
private  secretary,  upon  wliom  I  can  at  any 
time  call.  Of  course,  he  would  have  his  home 
in  the  house." 

"  There  will  be  no  difficulty  about  that.  Our 
family  is  small,  and  we  have  plenty  of  vacant 
rooms.  But,  father,  will  he  be  qualified  to 
undertake  the  duties  you  have  designed  for 
him?  He  is  very  young." 

"  That  is  true,  my  dear ;  but  he  is  remark 
ably  well  educated.  I  have  tested  his  capacity 
by  dictating  a  letter  for  him  to  copy." 

"  Did  he  do  the  work  satisfactorily?  "  asked 
Mrs.  Gordon. 

"  Without  a  single  mistake." 

"  Then,  father,  I  would  not  hesitate  to  en 
gage  him.  Freddie  likes  him,  and  wrill  be  de 
lighted  to  have  him  in  the  house." 

"  Another  idea,  Helen.  It  is  time  Freddie 
began  to  study.  Suppose  we  make  him  Fred 
die's  private  tutor — say  for  an  hour  daily?  " 


Making  His  Way.  213 

"  That  is  really  an  excellent  idea,  father," 
said  Mrs.  Gordon,  in  a  tone  of  satisfaction. 
"  It  will  please  and  benefit  Freddie,  and  be  a 
relief  to  me.  Do  you  think  Frank  will  have 
patience  enough?" 

"  I  watched  him  with  the  little  fellow,  and  I 
could  see  that  he  liked  children.  I  am  sure  he 
will  succeed  in  this  as  well  ao  in  the  duties 
which  he  will  undertake  for  me." 

"  I  suppose  he  will  have  no  objection  to  the 
plan?" 

"I  think  he  will  accept  gladly.  He  has  had 
a  hard  struggle  thus  far  in  maintaining  him 
self,  and  I  can  relieve  him  from  all  anxiety  on 
that  score.  I  am  indebted  to  him  for  helping 
me  to  recover  my  bonds,  and  this  will  be  an 
excuse  for  offering  him  a  larger  salary  than 
the  services  of  so  young  a  secretary  could  be 
expected  to  command." 

"  Very  well,  father.  Your  plan  pleases  me 
very  much,  and  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  Frank 
commence  to-morrow,  if  he  chooses.  Now  let 
us  return  to  the  library." 

While  father  and  daughter  were  absent 
Frank  had  taken  from  the  table  a  volume  of 
"  Macaulay's  History,"  and  had  become  inter 
ested  in  it. 

He  laid  it  down  upon  their  return. 

Mr.  Percival  resumed  his  easy-chair,  and 
said,  with  a  smile: 

"  My  daughter  and  I  have  been  consulting 
about  you." 


2 14  Making  His  Way. 

Frank  bowed,  and  his  hopes  rose. 

"  I  suppose  you  are  open  to  an  offer  of 
employment?  " 

"  I  am  not  only  open  to  it,  Mr.  Percival,  but 
I  shall  be  grateful  for  it." 

lie  could  not  help  wondering  what  sort  of 
employment  Mr.  Percival  was  about  to  offer 
him.  He  concluded  that  it  might  be  a  place 
in  some  business  house. 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  "  I 
have  a  great  mind  to  offer  you  the  situation  of 
my  private  secretary." 

Frank  was  astonished.  This  was  something 
he  ha'd  not  thought  of. 

"  Do  you  think  I  am  qualified  to  fill  such  a 
position,  Mr.  Percival?  "  he  asked,  hesitatingly. 

"  The  duties  would  not  be  difficult,"  re 
turned  the  old  gentleman.  "  Though  not  in 
active  business,  the  care  of  my  property,  and 
looking  after  my*  scattered  investments,  in 
volves  me  in  considerable  correspondence.  My 
eyes  are  not  as  strong  as  they  once  were,  and 
I  find  them  at  times  taxed  by  letter- writing, 
not  to  mention  reading.  You  can  relieve  me 
very  materially." 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  do  so,  sir.  The 
duties  will  be  very  agreeable  to  me." 

"  But  that  is  not  all.  My  daughter  proposes 
to  employ  you  as  private  tutor  for  Freddie." 

Frank  smiled. 

"  I  think  my  scholarship  will  be  sufficient 
for  that,"  he  said. 


Making  His  Way.  215 

"  Freddie   likes  you"   said   Mrs.    Gordon, 
"and  if  you  think  you  would  have  patience 
enough " 

"  I  think  I  should,"  assured  Frank.  "  I  was 
always  fond  of  children,  and  Freddie  is  a  very 
attractive  boy." 

"  I  believe  he  has  an  equally  favorable  opin 
ion  of  you/'  said  Mrs.  Gordon,  smiling. 

"  We  are  very  good  friends,  I  think,"  said 
Frank. 

"  Then  I  am  to  understand  that  you  will  not 
object  to  this  double  position?  "  said  Mr.  Perci- 
val. 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  accept,"  said  Frank, 
promptly. 

"  Of  course,  you  will  need  to  make  your 
home  with  us,"  said  the  old  gentleman.  "  My 
daughter  will  assign  you  a  room,  and  you  may 
move  in  as  soon  as  you  like." 

"  That  will  be  to-morrow,  sir." 

"  I  like  your  promptness.  There  remains 
one  thing  to  be  considered.  We  have  not  set 
tled  about  the  amount  of  your  salary." 

Salary  sounded  well,  and  Frank  began  al 
ready  to  feel  himself  a  young  man. 

"  I  will  leave  that  entirely  to  you,  sir,"  he 
said. 

"Will  fifty  dollars  a  month  satisfy  you?" 
asked  Mr.  Percival,  with  a  benevolent  smile. 

"  Fifty  dollars  a  month,  besides  my  board?  " 
ejaculated  Frank. 

"  Yes." 


216  Making  His  Way. 

"  But  I  am  sure  I  cannot  earn  so  much," 
said  Frank,  candidly. 

"  It  is,  I  am  aware,  more  than  would  usually 
be  offered  to  a  boy  of  your  age ;  but  I  owe  you 
something  for  the  service  you  rendered  me,  in 
helping  me  to  recover  my  bonds.  I  have  not 
offered  you  any  pecuniary  recompense,  think 
ing  you  would  prefer  employment." 

"  You  judged  rightly,  sir,  and  I  feel  very 
grateful  to  you." 

"  I  did  not  think,  this  morning,"  said  Mrs. 
Gordon,  smiling,  "  that  I  should  find  a  tutor 
for  Freddie  before  night." 

"  It  is  rather  a  surprise  to  me,"  said  Frank, 
"  but  a  very  agreeable  one.  I  feel  very  much 
indebted  to  you  both  for  the  confidence  you  feel 
in  me,  and  I  will  now  bid  you  good-evening !  " 

"  One  minute,  Frank,"  said  Mr.  Percival. 
"  Would  it  be  convenient  for  you  to  receive  a 
month's  salary  in  advance?  " 

"  I  shall  not  need  the  whole  of  it,  sir;  but  if 
you  will  let  me  have  twenty  dollars,  I  can 
easily  wait  for  the  balance  till  the  end  of 
the  month." 

Mr.  Percival  drew  from  his  pocketbook 
twenty  dollars  in  bills  and  placed  them  in  the 
hands  of  his  young  visitor. 

Frank  thanked  him  earnestly. 

"  We  shall  expect  to  see  you  to-morrow," 
said  Mr.  Percival.  "  Good-night." 

Frank  left  the  house  in  high  spirits.  He 
had  found  strong  friends,  and  secured  a  posi- 


Making  His  Way.  217 

tion  and  a  salary  beyond  his  highest  expecta 
tions.  He  determined  to  do  his  best  to  satisfy 
his  employer. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

FRANK  AS  PRIVATE  SECRETARY. 

THE  next  day  Frank  transferred  his  resi 
dence  to  Madison  Avenue.  He  was  assigned  a 
pleasant  room,  decidedly  superior,  it  need 
hardly  be  said,  to  his  room  at  Clinton  Place. 
It  seemed  agreeable  to  him  once  more  to  en 
joy  the  comforts  of  a  liberal  home. 

Frank  had  had  some  doubts  as  to  how  he 
would  satisfy  Mr.  Percival  in  his  capacity  of 
private  secretary. 

He  was  determined  to  do  his  best,  but 
thought  it  possible  that  the  old  gentleman 
might  require  more  than  he  could  do  well. 
He  looked  forward,  therefore,  with  some  ap 
prehension  to  his  first  morning's  work. 

Mr.  Percival,  though  not  engaged  in  active 
business,  was  a  wealthy  man,  and  his  capital 
was  invested  in  a  great  variety  of  enterprises. 
Naturally,  therefore,  he  received  a  large  num 
ber  of  business  letters,  which  required  to  be 
answered. 

The  first  day  he  dictated  several  replies, 
which  Frank  put  upon  paper.  He  wished,  how 
ever,  to  put  Frank's  ability  to  a  severe  test. 

"  Here  are  two  letters,"  he  said,  "  which  you 
may  answer.  I  have  noted  on  each  instruc- 


218  Making  His  Way. 

tions  which  you  will  follow.     The  wording  of 
the  letters  I  leave  to  you." 

"  I  will  try  to  satisfy  you,  sir,"  said  Frank. 

Our  hero  was  a  good  writer  for  his  age. 
Moreover,  he  had  been  Avell  trained  at  school 
and  did  not  shrink  from  the  task  assigned  him. 

He  read  carefully  the  instructions  of  his  em 
ployer,  and  composed  the  letter  in  strict  ac 
cordance  with  them. 

Mr.  Percival  awaited  with  some  interest  the 
result  of  his  experiment.  If  Frank  proved 
competent  to  the  task  assigned  him,  his  own 
daily  labor  would  be  considerably  abridged. 

"  Here  are  the  letters,  sir,"  said  our  hero, 
passing  the  drafts  to  Mr.  Percival. 

The  old  gentleman  examined  them  carefully. 
As  he  did  so,  his  face  expressed  his  satisfac 
tion. 

"  Upon  my  word,  Frank,"  he  said,  famil 
iarly,  "  you  have  done  your  work  exceedingly 
well.  They  are  brief,  concise  and  yet  compre 
hensive.  I  feared  that  you  would  use  too  many 
words." 

"  I  am  glad  you  are  pleased,  sir.  Dr.  Brush 
trained  us  to  write  letters,  and  he  cut  down  our 
essays  when  they  were  too  diffuse." 

"  Then  I  feel  indebted  to  Dr.  Brush  for 
providing  me  with  so  competent  a  young  secre 
tary.  You  will  be  able  to  assist  me  even  more 
than  I  anticipated.  I  shall,  of  course,  read 
over  your  letters  before  they  are  sent,  to  make 
sure  that  you  have  fully  comprehended  and 


Making  His  Way.  219 

carried  out  my  instructions,  but  I  don't  ex 
pect  they  will  need  much  correction." 

Frank  was  much  gratified  by  these  words. 
This  was  the  only  point  on  which  he  had  felt 
at  all  doubtful  as  to  his  ability  to  please  his 
employer. 

Sometimes,  when  his  eyes  pained  him  more 
than  usual,  Mr.  Percival  also  employed  him  to 
read  to  him  from  the  daily  papers,  or  from 
some  book  in  which  he  was  interested,  but 
this  did  not  occur  regularly. 

Every  day,  however,  Frank  was  occupied 
with  Freddie.  The  little  boy  knew  his  alpha 
bet,  but  nothing  more,  so  that  his  young 
teacher  had  to  begin  with  him  at  the  beginning 
of  the  primer. 

He  succeeded  in  interesting  his  little  pupil, 
and  did  not  protract  his  term  of  study  so  as 
to  weary  him. 

Finding  that  the  little  fellow  was  fond  of 
hearing  stories,  he  read  to  him  every  day  a 
story  or  two  from  Hans  Christian  Andersen, 
or  from  a  collection  of  German  fairy  stories, 
and  sometimes  went  out  to  walk  with  him. 

Freddie  wras  delighted  with  his  teacher,  and 
freely  expressed  his  approval  to  his  mother 
and  grandfather. 

"  Eeally,  Frank,"  said  Mrs.  Gordon,  "  I 
shall  begin  to  be  jealous  of  your  hold  upon 
Freddie.  I  am  not  sure  but  he  likes  your  com 
pany  better  than  mine." 

"  I  don't  think  Freddie  will  prefer  anyone 


220  Making  His  Way. 

to  his  mother,"  said  Frank ;  "  but  I  am  glad 
he  likes  to  be  with  me." 

"  You  have  certainly  proved  very  successful 
as  a  private  tutor,  Frank,"  said  Mrs.  Gordon, 
"  and  my  father  tells  me  you  succeed  equally 
well  as  a  secretary." 

"  It  is  partly  because  you  both  treat  me  so 
indulgently,"  answered  Frank,  gracefully. 

This  answer  pleased  Mr.  Percival  and  Mrs. 
Gordon,  who  more  than  ever  congratulated 
themselves  upon  the  lucky  chance  that  had 
thrown  Frank  in  their  way. 

Assuredly  he  made  himself,  very  useful  in 
the  small  household,  contributing  to  the  com 
fort  and  pleasure  of  Freddie,  his  mother  and 
grandfather  in  nearly  equal  measure. 

While  Frank's  monthly  salary  was  of  great 
value  and  importance  to  him,  it  was  nothing 
to  Mr.  Percival  in  comparison  with  the  pleas 
ure  and  relief  afforded  by  his  presence  in  the 
house. 

It  must  not  be  supposed,  however,  that 
Frank's  time  was  wholly  occupied  by  the 
duties  of  his  two  positions.  Usually  he  had 
several  hours  daily  at  his  disposal,  and  these 
he  was  allowed  to  spend  as  he  pleased. 

Part  of  this  he  occupied  in  visiting  different 
localities  of  the  city  and  points  of  interest 
in  tha  neighborhood,  and  part  in  reading  and 
study. 

Mr.  Percival  had  a  large  and  well-selected 
library,  which,  to  a  boy  of  Frank's  studious 
taste,  was  a  great  attraction. 


Making  His  Way.  221 

He  entered  upon  a  course  of  solid  reading, 
embracing  some  of  the  standard  histories,  and 
devoted  some  hours  every  week  to  keeping  up 
his  acquaintance  with  the  Greek  and  Latin 
authors  which  he  had  read  at  school. 

In  this  way  his  time  was  well  and  usefully 
employed,  and  the  weeks  slipped  by  till  almost 
before  he  was  aware  six  months  had  passed. 
The  next  chapter  will  record  a  meeting  with 
some  old  acquaintances. 


CHAPTEE  XXXVI. 

PLINY   TARBOX. 

ONE  afternoon  Frank  walked  down  Broad 
way,  enjoying  the  bright  sunshine  and  the  ani 
mated  spectacle  which  the  leading  New  York 
thoroughfare  always  presents.  He  had  com 
pleted  his  duties  for  the  day,  and  felt  at  leisure 
to  enjoy  himself.  He  was  no  longer  in  any 
pecuniary  embarrassment,  having  saved  up  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars  out  of  the  salary  paid 
him  by  Mr.  Percival. 

Besides  this,  he  had  two  quarterly  payments 
from  his  stepfather's  banker.  He  had  decided 
not  to  call  for  this  money,  but  on  consulting  his 
employer,  he  had  changed  his  mind. 

Mr.  Percival  represented  that  he  need  fec4 
no  scruples  about  taking  what  was,  after  all, 
but  a  small  part  of  what  lie  was  entitled  to, 
even  admitting  the  will  to  be  genuine,  since 
Mr.  Manning  was  expressly  directed  to  pro 
vide  for  him. 


222  Making  His  Way. 

Frank  was  wise  enough  to  be  guided  by  a 
man  whose  experience  was  so  much  greater 
than  his  own,  and  drew  the  money.  He  had, 
therefore,  at  present,  two  hundred  dollars  in 
all,  which  he  had  deposited  in  a  savings-bank 
recommended  to  him  by  Mr.  Percival. 

Now,  two  hundred  dollars  was  but  a  very 
small  sum  compared  with  the  fortune  he  had 
lost,  but  its  possession  gave  Frank  much  satis 
faction.  Three-fourths  of  it  he  had  himself 
earned  and  this  was  a  source  of  pleasure  and 
comfort. 

If  boys  and  young  men  who  squander  their 
money  would  change  their  habits  for  a  single 
month,  and  lay  aside  what  hitherto  they  had 
lavished  on  unnecessary  expenses,  they  would 
experience  a  satisfaction  which  would  go  far 
toward  inducing  them  to  continue  their  econ 
omy. 

Frank  had  been  obliged  to  make  some  pur 
chases  of  clothing,  since,  as  an  inmate  of  such 
a  house,  he  felt  that  he  would  be  expected  to 
dress  well.  Yet,  over  and  above  all  expenses, 
he  had  saved,  as  I  have  said,  two  hundred 
dollars.  Had  such  a  sum  been  given  him,  he 
might  have  felt  more  disposed  to  spend  it 
foolishly;  but  a  boy  who  earns  money  knows 
better  how  to  value  it. 

Then,  as  Frank  walked  down  Broadway,  he 
was  able  to  resist  the  temptations  that  allured 
him  from  many  a  shop  window  without  an 
effort. 


Making  His  Way.  223 

Just  in  front  of  the  St.  Nicholas  Hotel  he 
heard  his  name  called. 

Looking  up,  he  recognized,  with  some  sur 
prise,  Pliny  Tarbox,  his  cousin  from  Newark, 
whom  he  had  not  seen  since  his  hurried  de 
parture  from  a  house  where  his  changed  for 
tunes  had  made  him  unwelcome. 

"  Is  it  you,  Pliny?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes." 

"  Are  you  in  business  here?  " 

"No.  I  am  still  in  the  bookstore.  I  came 
to  New  York  to  buy  some  clothes.  I  thought  I 
could  get  them  cheaper  here  than  in  Newark. 
Father  makes  me  buy  my  own  clothes  out  of  my 
wages.  Don't  you  think  that  mean?" 

"  I  should  not  like  to  make  such  a  charge 
against  your  father,  Pliny." 

"  Oh,  he  is  mean — awful  mean  !  Everybody 
knows  that,"  said  Pliny,  apparently  not  aware 
that  it  did  him  little  credit  to  speak  so  of  his 
father. 

"  Is  it  such  a  hardship  to  pay  for  your  own 
clothes?  "  said  Frank.  "  I  not  only  pay  for 
my  own  clothes,  but  I  pay  all  my  expenses, 
with  the  help  of  only  two  dollars  a  week  from 
my  stepfather." 

This  drew  Pliny's  attention  to  his  cousin. 

"  You're  pretty  nicely  dressed,"  he  said, 
scanning  Frank's  appearance  critically.  "  I 
guess  you  must  be  prospering." 

"  I  am  doing  very  well,  Pliny,"  answered 
Frank,  smiling. 


224  Making  His  Way. 

"  And  you  pay  your  board,  too — and  wash 
ing?  " 

"  I  earn  enough  for  all  my  expenses." 

"Then  you  must  get  more'n  four  dollars  a 
week." 

"  I  don't  think  I  could  get  along  very  well 
on  four  dollars  a  week." 

"  That's  all  I  get.  I  ought  to  be  raised,  but 
my  boss  won't  pay  me  a  cent  more.  He's  awful 
mean." 

"  It  seems  to  me  you  are  unlucky." 

"  So  I  am.  I  should  like  to  come  to  New 
York  to  work.  What  are  you  doing?  " 

"  I  am  private  secretary  to  a  gentleman 
living  on  Madison  Avenue." 

Pliny  opened  his  eyes  in  genuine  surprise. 

"Private  secretary!     What  do  you  do?" 

"  I  read  to  him,  write  his  letters,  and  I  also 
give  lessons  to  his  little  grandson." 

"  You  don't  say ! "  ejaculated  Pliny,  in  as 
tonishment.  "How  much  do  you  get?" 

"  Fifty  dollars  a  month  and  my  board,"  re 
plied  Frank,  enjoying  Pliny's  surprise. 

"  You  don't  mean  it ! "  exclaimed  Pliny, 
opening  wide  his  eyes  in  bewildered  surprise. 

"  Certainly  I  mean  it." 

"  Why,  that's  about  twelve  dollars  a  week, 
and  board  besides." 

"  Yes." 

"  Do  you  have  to  work  hard?  " 

"  Not  very.  I  have  several  hours  a  day  to 
myself." 


Making  His  Way.  225 

"  I  never  heard  of  such  a  thing !  "  ejaculated 
Pliny.  "  You're  awfully  lucky.  How  did  you 
get  it?  " 

"  It's  too  long  a  story  to  tell,  Pliny." 

"  Do  you  think  I  could  get  a  place  like 
that?"  asked  Pliny,  anxiously.  "  I'd  be  will 
ing  to  work  cheaper  than  that." 

"  I  don't  think  such  chances  are  very  com 
mon,"  said  Frank,  gravely. 

"  How  old  are  you?  "  asked  Pliny,  abruptly. 

"  Sixteen." 

"  Just  my  age,  and  I'm  working  for  four 
dollars  a  week,"  said  Pliny,  looking  unhappy 
and  discontented. 

"I  don't  think  you  could  get  any  higher 
wages  in  New  York  in  the  same  kind  of  a  store. 
I  didn't  try  to  get  a  place,  because  I  couldn't 
support  myself  on  a  boy's  wages." 

"  What  did  you  do  before  you  got  to  be 
private  secretary?  " 

"  I  was  for  a  few  weeks  agent  for  a  large 
tea  company." 

"Did  it  pay  well?" 

"  No.  I  couldn't  make  enough  to  pay  ex 
penses." 

"  How  long  have  you  been  in  this  place?  " 

"  Nearly  six  months." 

"  You  must  have  saved  up  considerable 
money,"  suggested  Pliny. 

"  I  have  saved  up  something." 

Pliny  became  interested. 

"How  much?" 


+  26  Making  His  Way. 

"  I  don't  care  to  mention." 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  suppose  it  was  a  secret.  Will 
you  lend  me  five  dollars?  " 

"  No !  "  answered  Frank,  decidedly. 

"  I  should  think  you  might,"  said  Pliny, 
eomplainingly. 

"  I  see  no  reason  why  I  should.  You  have  a 
good  home,  and  enough  to  provide  for  all  your 
wants." 

"  You  are  a  good  deal  better  off." 
6 1  may  lose  my  position,  and  then  I  must 
live  on  what  I  have  saved  till  I  can  get  some 
thing  else  to  do.     You  ought  not  to  stand  in 
need  of  money." 

Pliny  had  seventy-five  dollars  in  a  bank  at 
Newark,  but  it  struck  him  that  it  would  be  a 
good  plan  to  borrow  five  dollars  from  Frank 
and  add  to  his  account.  He  would  not  have 
dreamed  of  repaying  the  money.  He  was 
essentially  a  mean  boy,  and  considered  all  his 
friends  and  acquaintances  who  had  money 
legitimate  prey. 

"  I  haven't  had  any  lunch,"  he  said  to  Frank, 
changing  his  form  of  attack. 

"  Shall  I  show  you  a  restaurant?  " 

"  No ;  I  guess  I  will  get  along  till  I  get  home. 
I've  had  to  pay  out  more  for  clothes  than  I  ex 
pected,  and  then  it's  expensive  paying  railroad 
fares." 

Frank  understood  very  well  what  Pliny 
meant,  and  said,  with  a  smile : 

"  Won't  you  come  and  lunch  with  me,  Pliny? 


Making  His  Way.  227 

I  can't  invite  you  to  the  house,  because  that 
w6uld  be  a  liberty;  but  I  will  take  you  to  a 
restaurant  near  by,  and  shall  be  glad  to  have 
you  order  what  you  like." 

"  I  don't  mind  if  I  do,"  said  Pliny,  with 
alacrity.  "  You're  a  good  fellow,  Frank,  and 
I'm  glad  you're  getting  on  so  well.  Father 
said  he  didn't  believe  you'd  make  out  in  the 
city,  but  I  thought  different.  He  thought  you 
wanted  to  stay  in  Newark,  and  live  at  our 
house,  considering  you  had  lost  your  property." 

"  I  hope  he  has  changed  his  mind  about 
that,"  said  Frank,  feeling  annoyed  at  the  mean 
ness  of  his  relative. 

"  He  will,  when  he  hears  what  a  good  place 
you've  got.  You  see,  father's  been  expecting 
you  would  get  hard  up,  and  write  him  for 
money." 

"  Would  he  have  sent  me  any?  " 

"  I  guess  not.  It's  as  hard  to  get  money 
out  of  father  as — as  anything.  He  ought  not 
to  make  me  buy  my  clothes.  I  leave  it  to  you 
if  he  had." 

"  I  would  rather  not  express  any  opinion 
about  that,"  said  Frank.  "  You  may  say  to 
your  father,  when  you  get  home,  that  he  need 
not  have  been  afraid  of  my  applying  to  him 
for  money.  Once  I  got  nearly  out  of  money, 
but  I  never  even  thought  of  him." 

"  Yes,  I'll  tell  him.  I  guess  he'll  invite  you 
to  come  out  and  spend  Sunday,  when  he  hears 
how  well  you  are  getting  along." 


228  Making  His  Way. 

Frank  did  not  reply,  but  lie  privately  decided 
that  such  a  visit  would  offer  no  attractions  to 
him.  He  would  rather  remain  in  New  York. 

"  I  hope  I  never  shall  think  so  much  of 
money  as  Pliny  and  his  father,"  thought  Frank. 
"  Money  is  a  good  thing  to  have,  but  there  are 
some  things  that  are  better." 

Pliny  did  justice  to  his  cousin's  hospitality. 
Accustomed  to  his  father's  meager  table,  he 
enjoyed  highly  the  restaurant  dinner,  and  was 
by  no  means  bashful  in  ordering.  Frank  was 
pleased  to  see  how  Pliny  enjoyed  the  meal.  In 
fact,  he  sympathized  with  him,  knowing  the 
plainness  of  his  father's  table. 

Soon  after  they  parted. 

"  I  hope  I'll  see  you  when  I  come  to  York 
again,  Cousin  Frank,"  said  Pliny. 

"Thank  you!  It  will  give  me  pleasure  to 
have  you  lunch  with  me  again,  whenever  we 
meet." 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

A  LETTER  FROM  MR.  TARBOX. 

FRANK  did  not  speak  to  Mr.  Percival's 
family  of  his  meeting  with  Pliny.  It  was  not 
pleasant  to  him  to  think  that  he  was  valued 
only  for  his  good  fortune.  He  had  seen  but 
little  of  the  Tarbox  family,  but  he  understood 
very  well  what  their  professions  of  friendship 
amounted  to,  and  they  were  not  to  be  relied 
upon  in  an  emergency. 

He  was  not  much  surprised  on  Monday  af- 


Making  His  Way.  229 

ternoon  to  receive  the  following  letter  from 
Erastus  Tarbox : 

"  MY  DEAR  YOUNG  COUSIN  : — We  have  been 
wondering  what  has  become  of  you,  and  Mrs. 
T.  and  myself  have  often  wished  to  invite  you 
to  pass  a  Sabbath  at  our  humble  home.  Not 
knowing  your  address,  I  could  not  write  to  you, 
or  I  should  have  done  so.  You  can  imagine, 
therefore,  the  pleasure  we  felt  when  Pliny  told 
us  that  he  had  met  you,  and  gave  us  tidings  of 
your  remarkable  success,  which  I  am  sure  does 
you  great  credit. 

"  lie  tells  me  that  you  fill  a  very  responsible 
position,  and  receive  a  very  liberal  salary.  I 
could  wish  that  Pliny  might  be  equally  for 
tunate,  and  shall  esteem  it  a  great  favor  if  you 
will  mention  him  to  your  respected  employer, 
and  recommend  him  for  any  lucrative  position 
which  he  may  bestow  upon  him.  Pliny  is  a 
very  capable  boy,  and  has  been  carefully 
trained  to  habits  of  frugality  and  industry. 

"  Can  you  not  soon  come  out  and  pass  a 
Sabbath  with  us?  The  esteem  which  we  have 
for  your  late  lamented  mother  alone  would 
secure  you  a  cordial  welcome,  not  to  speak  of 
our  friendship  for  yourself.  Pliny  often  says 
that  you  seem  to  him  like  a  brother,  and  he 
would  truly  enjoy  your  companionship. 
"  Your  sincere  friend  and  cousin, 

"  ERASTUS  TARBOX." 

The  time  was  when  Frank  would  have  put 


230  Making  His  Way. 

confidence  in  the  friendly  expressions  used  by 
Mr.  Tarbox,  but  bis  eyes  bad  been  opened,  and 
he  understood  that  if  misfortune  should  come 
to  him,  it  would  not  do  to  lean  upon  his 
cousins  at  Newark. 

Frank  wrote  a  civil  reply  to  Mr.  Tarbox, 
thanking  him  for  his  invitation,  but  saying 
that  at  present  it  would  not  be  convenient  for 
him  to  accept  it.  He  added  that  should  an 
opportunity  offer  he  would  be  glad  to  assist 
Pliny  to  a  better  position  than  he  now  held. 

In  spite  of  his  wish  to  be  cordial,  his  letter 
was  felt  by  the  Tarbox  family  to  be  cold,  and 
they  regretted  that  they  had  not  treated  him 
better  during  his  brief  visit  to  them. 

But  then  how  could  they  suppose  he  would 
be  so  successful?  If  the  time  should  ever  come 
when  he  recovered  his" property,  they  would  be 
prepared  to  make  a  determined  effort  to  con 
vinced  him  that  they  had  always  been  his 
affectionate  friends. 

About  this  time  Frank  received  another 
letter,  which  afforded  him  greater  satisfaction 
than  the  one  from  Newark. 

This  letter  was  from  Col.  Vincent,  who,  it 
will  be  remembered,  had  purchased  Ajax  when 
Mr.  Manning  persisted  in  selling  him.  It 
was  as  follows : 

"MY  DEAR  FRANK:  I  learned  incidentally 
from  one  of  our  townsmen,  who  recently  met 
you  in  New  York,  that  you  have  been  verj 


Making  His  Way.  231 

successful  in  obtaining  employment,  and  that 
of  an  honorable  and  responsible  character.  It 
relieved  my  mind,  for,  knowing  how  hard  it  is 
for  a  boy  to  make  his  own  way  in  a  large  city, 
I  feared  that  you  might  be  suffering  privation, 
or  living  poorly.  I  hope,  however,  you  would 
in  that  case  have  applied  to  me  for  such  help 
as  your  father's  old  friend  would  have  been 
glad  to  offer. 

"  Your  stepfather  has  not  been  heard  from 
directly.  I  learn,  however,  from  some  friends 
who  have  rnef,  him  abroad  that  he  is  having 
trouble  with  Mark,  who  is  proving  difficult  to 
manage,  and  has  contracted  a  dangerous  taste 
for  gaming.  Mr.  Manning  was  obliged  to  leave 
Baden-Baden  on  account  of  this  unfortunate 
tendency,  and  is  even  thinking  of  returning  to 
the  Cedars,  where  his  son  will  be  removed  from 
temptation.  To  this,  however,  Mark  will  be 
likely  to  make  strenuous  opposition.  He  will 
find  it  dull  to  settle  down  here  after  having 
tasted  the  gayety  of  Europe." 

Here  followed  a  little  local  gossip,  which 
the  writer  thought  might  prove  interesting  to 
Frank,  and  the  letter  concluded  with  a  cordial 
invitation  to  our  hero  to  spend  a  Sunday  with 
him,  or  a  longer  time,  if  he  could  be  spared 
from  his  duties. 

Frank  was  disposed  to  accept  the  invitation, 
but  his  acceptance  was  postponed  by  an  un 
usual  service  which  he  was  called  upon  to 
render  to  Mr.  Percival. 


232  Making  His  Way. 

Of  this  the  reader  will  hear  everything  in  the 
next  chapter. 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

MR.  PERCIVAI/S  PROPOSAL. 

ONE  morning,  after  writing  several  letters 
for  his  employer,  the  young  secretary  asked  Mr. 
Percival  if  he  had  any  further  commands. 

The  old  gentleman  answered  thoughtfully: 

"  I  have  been  thinking  of  asking  you  to  do 
me  an  unusual  service." 

"  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  serve  you  in  any 
way,  Mr.  Percival,"  said  Frank,  promptly. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it,"  said  the  old  gentle 
man,  kindly.  "  I  have  observed  your  willing 
ness  to  undertake  any  duty,  and,  still  more, 
your  disposition  to  perform  it  thoroughly.  In 
this  particular  case,  however,  I  have  been  con 
sidering  whether  a  boy  of  your  age  would  be 
competent  to  do  what  I  desire." 

Frank  was  not  self-distrustful,  neither  was 
he  overconfident.  He  was  naturally  energetic 
and  ambitious  to  distinguish  himself,  and  not 
afraid  to  undertake  any  difficult  task. 

"Will  you  try  me,  Mr.  Percival?"  he  said. 
"  I  will  do  my  best  to  succeed." 

"  I  am  quite  inclined  to  try  you,  Frank,"  said 
Mr.  Percival ;  "  the  more  so  because  I  know  of 
no  one  else  in  whom  I  could  confide.  But  I 
must  give  you  an  idea  of  what  I  have  in  view. 
It  would  require  you  to  make  a  journey." 

Frank  listened  to  this  gladly.     To  a  boy  of 


Making  His  Way.  233 

his  age,  who  had  seen  but  little  of  the  world,  a 
journey  offered  attractions. 

"  I  should  like  to  travel,"  he  said. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  about  that,"  said  Mr.  Per- 
cival,  smiling.  "  At  your  age  I  am  sure  I 
should  have  been  equally  willing  to  see  some 
thing  of  the  world,  though  traveling  involved 
at  that  time  far  more  hardships  than  at  pres 
ent.  Now,  however,  I  like  best  to  stay  by  the 
fireside,  and  should  dread  very  much  a  journey 
to  Minnesota." 

"  To  Minnesota ! "  exclaimed  Frank,  with 
sparkling  eyes. 

He  had  not  thought  of  a  journey  so  extended. 

"  Yes ;  it  would  be  necessary  for  you  to  go 
out  to  Minnesota.  Ordinarily,  a  man  can  best 
look  after  his  own  affairs;  but  in  the  present 
instance,  I  suspect  that  you  could  do  better 
than  myself.  I  don't  mean  this  as  a  compli 
ment,  but  a  boy  like  you  would  not  be  sus 
pected,  and  so  could  discover  more  than  I,  from 
whom,  facts  would  be  studiously  concealed. 
But,  of  course,  you  don't  understand  m.y  mean 
ing.  I  will  explain,  and  then  you  can  com 
prehend  me." 

Frank  was  all  attention. 

"  You  must  know  that  I  own  a  good  deal  of 
property  in  a  certain  township  in  Southern 
Minnesota.  When  a  young  man,  I  bought 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  the 
township  of  Jackson,  obtaining  it  at  a  slight 
advance  on  government  rates. 


234  Making  His  Way. 

"  Some  improvements  had  been  made,  and  I 
was  induced  to  visit  the  place.  I  found  but 
three  families  in  residence,  but  I  saw  also  that 
the  place  had  large  natural  advantages,  water- 
power,  etc.,  and  presented  an  unusually  favor 
able  site  for  a  village.  I  had  considerable 
means,  and  started  the  village  by  erecting  a 
dozen  houses,  a  store,  a  sawmill,  gristmill,  and 
so  on. 

"  This  formed  a  nucleus,  and  soon  quite  a 
village  sprang  up.  The  sawmill  and  gristmill 
proved  profitable,  all  my  houses  were  tenanted, 
and  I  erected  more,  securing  also  additional 
land.  In  course  of  time  I  was  induced  to  sell 
some  of  my  houses,  but  I  still  own  two  stores, 
a  dozen  houses,  the  saw  and  gristmills,  besides 
two  outlying  farms. 

"  Living  so  far  away,  I  could  not  attend 
personally  to  the  business  connected  with  my 
investment,  and  was  compelled  to  appoint  an 
agent.  Up  to  four  years  since,  I  was  fortunate 
enough  to  possess  the  services  of  a  capable  and 
trustworthy  man,  named  Sampson.  He  died 
after  a  few  weeks'  illness,  and  I  was  compelled 
to  look  out  for  a  successor. 

"  Now,  I  had  a  distant  cousin,  who  had  never 
succeeded  very  well  in  life,  and  was  at  that 
time  seeking  for  employment  of  some  kind. 
He  heard  of  the  vacancy,  and  importuned  me 
to  appoint  him  as  my  agent  in  Jackson.  I  had 
no  reason  to  doubt  his  honesty,  though  his  re 
peated  failures  might  well  have  led  me  to  sus- 


Making  His  Way.  235 

pect  his  capacity.  I  was  weak  enough,  as  I 
now  consider  it,  to  yield  to  his  importunities 
and  give  him  the  post  he  sought. 

"  The  result  was  that  durng  the  first  year 
of  his  incumbency  the  amount  turned  over  to 
me  was  only  three-fourths  as  much  as  in  the 
last  year  of  his  predecessor.  The  second  year 
there  was  a  further  falling  off.  The  same  hap 
pened  the  third  year,  until  at  the  present  time 
my  rents  amount  to  less  than  half  what  they 
were  in  Mr.  Sampson's  time. 

"  Of  course,  my  suspicions  that  my  cousin 
was  at  least  inefficient  were  aroused  long  since. 
I  have  repeatedly  asked  an  explanation  of  the 
diminished  revenues,  and  plenty  of  excuses 
have  been  made,  but  they  do  not  seem  to  me 
satisfactory. 

"  Moreover,  I  have  heard  a  rumor  that  Mr. 
Fairfield  is  intemperate  in  his  habits,  and  I 
have  considerable  reason  to  believe  that  the 
story  is  correct.  I  have  made  up  my  mind  that 
something  must  be  done.  A  regard  for  my 
own  interests  requires  that  if  any  agent  is  un 
faithful  he  should  be  displaced,  and  I  wish  to 
find  out  from  some  reliable  source  the  true 
state  of  the  case. 

"  Now  I  will  tell  you  what  I  have  in  view. 
I  propose  to  send  you  out  to  Jackson  to  investi 
gate  and  report  to  me  your  impressions  of  the 
manner  in  which  Mr.  Fairfield  discharges  his 
duties,  and  whether  you  think  a  change  should 
be  made  in  the  agency." 

Frank  listened  to  Mr.  Percival  with  a  flushed 


236  Making  His  Way. 

face  and  a  feeling  of  gratification  and  pride 
that  he  should  be  thought  of  in  connection  with 
a  responsible  duty. 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  Mr.  Per 
cival,"  he  said,  "  for  thinking  of  me  in  such  a 
connection.  You  may  feel  that  I  am  presump 
tuous  for  thinking  I  have  any  chance  of  suc 
cessfully  accomplishing  what  you  desire,  but 
if  you  are  willing  to  trust  me,  I  am  willing  to 
undertake  it,  and  by  following  your  instruc 
tions  closely,  and  doing  my  best,  I  think  I  can 
succeed." 

"  I  am  willing  to  trust  you,  Frank,"  said  Mr. 
Percival.  "  You  are  a  boy,  to  be  sure,  but  you 
have  unusually  good  judgment,  and  I  know  you 
will  be  faithful  to  my  interests.  I  understand, 
then,  that  you  are  willing  to  go  out  as  my 
accredited  representative?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  When  do  you  want  me  to  start?  " 
said  Frank,  promptly. 

"  As  soon  as  you  can  get  ready." 

"  I  will  start  to-morrow,  if  you  desire  it, 
sir." 

"  Let  it  be  to-morrow,  then.  We  will  now 
discuss  some  of  the  details  connected  with  the 
mission." 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

PREPARING  FOR  A  JOURNEY. 

AFTER  receiving  certain  instructions  from 
Mr.  Percival  in  regard  to  the  manner  of  carry 
ing  on  his  inquiries,  Frank  said : 


Making  His  Way.  237 

"  There  is  one  thing  I  have  thought  of,  Mr. 
Percival,  that  may  interfere  with  my  success." 

"  What  is  it,  Frank?  I  shall  be  glad  to  re 
ceive  any  suggestion  from  you.7' 

"  I  have  been  thinking,  sir,  that  it  may  excite 
surprise  that  I  should  come  to  Jackson,  and 
remain  there  without  any  apparent  motive. 
Perhaps  Mr.  Fairfield  might  suspect  that  I 
came  from  you." 

"  I  hardly  think  so,  Frank.  lie  would  not 
suppose  that  I  would  select  so  young  a  mes 
senger.  Still,  it  will  be  well  to  think  of  some 
pretext  for  your  stay.  Can  you  help  me?  " 

"  I  have  been  thinking,  sir,  that  I  might  fit 
myself  out  as  an  agent,  or  peddler,  or  some 
thing  of  the  kind.  It  would  not  only  give  me 
an  excuse  for  my  journey,  but  enable  me  to 
call  from  house  to  house  and  pick  up  informa 
tion  about  Mr.  Fairfield." 

"  A  capital  idea,  Frank.  I  see  that  you  are 
better  fitted  for  the  task  than  I  supposed.  I 
give  you  authority  to  fit  yourself  out  in  any 
way  you  choose.  I  shall  have  to  leave  a  great 
deal  to  your  own  judgment." 

"  Then,  sir,  I  think  I  might  lay  in  a  stock  of 
stationery,  pens  and  articles  of  that  nature. 
Probably  this  is  so  common  that  I  would  be 
thought  to  be  nothing  more  than  I  seemed." 

"  That  strikes  me  rather  favorably,  Frank." 

"  I  could  fit  myself  out  in  the  city,  and 
take  the  articles  along  with  me  in  an  extra 
valise  or  carpet-bag." 


238  Making  His  Way. 

"  Let  me  suggest  an  amendment  to  your 
plan,"  said  Mr.  Percival.  "  Wait  till  you  get 
to  Chicago,  and  lay  in  your  stock  there.  The 
advantage  of  that  arrangement  will  be  that  you 
will  be  saved  the  care  of  your  merchandise  up 
to  that  point,  and,  as  you  may  be  asked  where 
you  obtained  your  stock,  it  will  create  less 
surprise  if  you  mention  Chicago  than  New 
York.  It  would  be  considered  hardly  worth 
while  for  a  New  York  boy  to  go  so  far  on  such 
a  business  trip." 

This  seemed  to  Frank  an  excellent  sug 
gestion  and  he  instantly  adopted  it. 

The  next  day  Prank  started  on  his  long 
journey.  He  carried  with  him  a  supply  of 
money  provided  by  Mr.  Percival,  and  he  was 
authorized  to  draw  for  more  if  he  should  re 
quire  it. 

He  divided  this  money  into  two  portions, 
keeping  a  small  sum  in  his  pocketbook,  but  the 
greater  part  of  it  in  an  inside  vest  pocket, 
where  it  would  not  be  likely  to  be  looked  for  by 
.pickpockets. 

This  arrangement  was  suggested  by  Mr.  Per 
cival. 

"  I  once  experienced."  he  said,  "  the  disad 
vantage  of  carrying  all  my  money  in  one 
pocket.  I  was  in  a  Southern  city,  or,  rather, 
on  my  way  to  it,  when  an  adroit  pickpocket  on 
the  car  relieved  me  of  my  wallet  containing  all 
my  available  funds.  I  did  not  find  out  my  loss 
Kll  I  had  arrived  at  the  hotel  and  registered 


Making  Mis  Way.  239 

iny  name.  You  can  imagine  my  embarrass 
ment.  It  was  my  first  visit  to  that  particular 
city,  and  I  had  no  acquaintances  there,  so  far 
as  I  was  aware.  Had  I  mentioned  my  position 
to  the  landlord,  he  might  very  probably  have 
taken  me  for  an  adventurer,  traveling  on  false 
pretenses." 

"  What  did  you  do,  sir?  "  asked  Frank,  inter 
ested. 

"  I  took  a  walk  about  the  city,  my  thoughts 
occupied  in  devising  a  way  out  of  my  trouble. 
To  my  great  relief,  I  had  the  good  fortune, 
during  the  walk,  to  meet  a  New  York  acquaint 
ance,  who  knew  very  well  my  financial  stand 
ing.  I  told  him  of  my  difficulty,  and  he  imme 
diately  introduced  me  at  a  bank,  where  I 
raised  money  on  a  New  York  draft.  I  re 
solved,  however,  at  that  time,  never  again  to 
carry  all  my  money  in  one  pocketbook,  as  boats 
and  railroad  trains  on  the  long  routes  are 
generally  infested  by  pickpockets  and  sharp 
ers." 

Frank  at  once  set  about  preparing  for  his 
journey. 

He  bought  a  ready-made  suit  of  blue  cloth, 
not  unlike  that  worn  by  the  district  telegraph 
boys  of  to-day,  which  he  judged  would  look 
more  suitable  than  his  ordinary  attire  for  the 
character  he  was  about  to  assume  of  a  travel 
ing  peddler. 

He  bought  a  through  ticket  to  the  railroad 
point  nearest  Jackson,  and  then,  bidding  good- 


240  Making  His  Way. 

by  to  Mr.  Percival  and  his  family,  started  on 
his  trip. 

Little  Freddie  made  strenuous  opposition  to 
parting  with  his  favorite,  but  Frank  promised 
to  bring  him  home  a  present,  and  this  diverted 
the  little  fellow's  thoughts. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

FRANK  REACHES  JACKSON. 

IT  was  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when 
Frank  Courtney  left  the  cars  and  set  foot  on 
the  platform  before  the  station  at  Prescott, 
five  miles  distant  from  the  town  of  Jackson, 
in  Southern  Minnesota. 

He  looked  about  him,  but  could  see  no  vil 
lage. 

Prescott  was  a  stopping  place  for  the  cars, 
but  there  was  no  settlement  of  any  account 
there,  as  he  afterward  found. 

He  had  supposed  he  would  find  a  stage  in 
waiting  to  convey  him  to  Jackson,  but  it  was 
clear  that  the  business  was  not  large  enough 
to  warrant  such  a  conveyance. 

Looking  about  him,  Frank  saw  a  farm 
wagon,  the  driver  of  which  had  evidently  come 
to  receive  some  freight  which  had  come  by 
rail. 

Approaching  the  driver,  who  seemed  to  be — 
though  roughly  dressed — an  intelligent  man, 
Frank  inquired : 

"  How  far  is  Jackson  from  here,  sir?  " 

"  Five  miles,"  was  the  answer. 


Making  His  Way.  24! 

"  Is  there  any  stage  running  there  from  this 
depot?" 

"  Oh,  no !  If  there  were,  it  wouldn't  average 
two  passengers  a  day." 

"  Then  I  suppose  I  must  walk,"  said  Frank, 
looking  rather  doubtfully  at  the  two  heavy 
valises  which  constituted  his  baggage. 

"  Then  you  are  going  to  Jackson?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  I  come  from  Jackson  myself,  and  in  fifteen 
minutes  shall  start  on  my  way  back.  You  may 
ride  and  welcome." 

"  Thank  you,  sir ! "  said  our  hero,  quite  re 
lieved.  "  I  hope  you  will  allow  me  to  pay  you 
as  much  as  I  should  have  to  pay  in  a  stage." 

'  No,  no,  my  lad,"  said  the  farmer,  heartily. 
"  The  horse  can  draw  you  as  well  as  not,  and  I 
shall  be  glad  to  have  your  company." 

"  Thank  you,  sir !  " 

"  Just  climb  up  here,  then.  I'll  take  your 
baggage  and  put  it  on  the  wagon  behind." 

When  the  farmer  had  loaded  up,  he  started 
up  the  team.  Then,  finding  himself  at  leisure, 
he  proceeded  to  satisfy  his  curiosity  by  cross- 
examining  his  young  passenger. 

"  Do  you  come  from  the  East?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  am  last  from  Chicago,"  answered  Frank, 
cautiously. 

"  I  suppose  you've  got  some  friends  in  Jack 
son?"  ventured  the  farmer,  interrogatively. 

Frank  smiled. 

"  You  are  the  only  man  living  in  Jackson 
that  I  ever  met,"  he  said. 


Making  His  Way. 

"  Indeed !  "  said  the  driver,  puzzled.  "  Are 
you  calculating  to  make  a  long  stay  in  our 
Village? "  he  asked  again,  after  a  minute's 
pause. 

"  That  depends  on  business,"  answered  the 
young  traveler. 

"  Are  you  in  business?  " 

"  I  have  a  stock  of  stationery  which  I  shall 
offer  for  sale  in  Jackson,"  answered  Frank. 

"  I  am  afraid  you'll  find  it  .rather  a  poor 
market.  If  that's  all  you  have  to  depend  upon, 
I  am  afraid  you'll  get  discouraged." 

"  I  am  also  agent  for  an  illustrated  book," 
said  Frank.  "  I  may  be  able  to  dispose  of  a 
few." 

"  Perhaps  so,"  answered  the  farmer,  dubi 
ously.  "  But  our  people  haven't  much  money 
to  spend  on  articles  of  luxury,  and  books  are  a 
luxury  with  us." 

"  I  always  heard  that  Jackson  was  a  flourish 
ing  place,"  said  Frank,  who  felt  that  now  was 
his  time  to  obtain  a  little  information. 

"It  ought  to  be,"  said  the  farmer;  "but 
there's  one  thing  prevents." 

"What  is  that?" 

"  A  good  deal  of  our  village  is  owned  by  a 
New  York  man,  to  whom  we  have  to  pay  rent. 
He  has  a  rascally  agent — a  Mr.  Fairfield — who 
grinds  us  down  by  his  exactions,  and  does  what 
he  can  to  keep  us  in  debt." 

"  Has  he  always  been  agent?  " 

"  No.     Before  he  came  there  was  an  excel- 


Making  His  Way.  243 

lent  man — a  Mr.  Sampson — who  treated  us 
fairly,  contented  himself  with  exacting  rents 
which  we  could  pay,  and  if  a  man  were  un 
lucky,  would  wait  a  reasonable  time  for  him  to 
pay.  Then  we  got  along  comfortably.  But 
he  died,  and  this  man  was  sent  out  in  his 
place.  Then  commenced  a  new  state  of  things. 
He  immediately  raised  the  rents,  demanded 
that  they  should  be  paid  on  the  da}7  they  were 
due,  and  made  himself  harsh  and  tyrannical." 

"  Do  you  think  the  man  who  employs  him 
knows  how  he  is  conducting  his  agency? " 
Frank  inquired. 

"  No ;  there  is  no  one  to  tell  him.  I  sup 
pose  Mr.  Fairfield  tells  him  a  smooth  story, 
and  he  believes  it.  I  am  afraid  we  can  hope 
for  no  relief." 

"  What  would  he  say,"  thought  Frank,  "  if 
he  knew  I  were  a  messenger  from  Mr.  Per- 
cival?" 

"  What  sort  of  a  man  is  this  Mr.  Fairfield 
in  private  life?  "  he  asked. 

"  He  drinks  like  a  fish,"  was  the  unexpected 
reply.  "  Frequently  he  appears  on  the  street 
under  the  influence  of  liquor.  He  spends  a 
good  deal  of  money,  lives  in  a  large  house,  and 
his  wife  dresses  expensively.  He  must  get  a 
much  larger  salary  than  Mr.  Sampson  did,  or 
he  could  not  spend  money  as  he  does." 

Though  Frank  had  not  much  worldly  experi 
ence,  he  could  not  help  coming  to  the  conclu 
sion  that  Mr,  Fairfield  was  acting  dishonestly. 


244  Making  His  Way. 

He  put  together  the  two  circumstances  that 
this  new  agent  had  increased  the  rents,  and 
yet  that  he  had  returned  to  Mr.  Percival  only 
about  half  as  much  as  his  predecessor  had 
done.  Clearly,  he  must  retain  in  his  own 
hands  much  more  than  he  had  a  right  to  do. 

"  I  shall  have  to  report  unfavorably  on  this 
man,"  he  thought. 

One  point  must  be  considered — where  he  was 
to  find  a  boarding-place  on  his  arrival  in  Jack 
son. 

"  Is  there  a  hotel  in  Jackson?"  he  asked. 

"  There  is  a  tavern,  but  it's  a  low  place," 
answered  the  farmer.  "  A  good  deal  of  liquor 
is  sold  there,  and  Mr.  Fairfield,  our  agent,  is 
one  of  the  most  constant  patrons  of  the  bar." 

"  I  don't  think  I  should  like  to  stop  there," 
said  Frank.  "  Isn't  there  any  private  family 
where  I  can  get  board  for  a  week  or  two?  " 

"If  you  don't  object  to  plain  fare,"  said  the 
farmer,  "  I  might  agree  to  board  you  myself.'' 

This  was  precisely  what  Frank  wanted,  and 
he  replied  that  nothing  would  suit  him  better. 

"  We  live  humbly,"  continued  Mr.  Hamlin — 
for  this,  Frank  learned,  was  his  driver's  name 
— "  but  we  will  try  to  make  you  comfortable." 

"  I  feel  sure  of  that,  sir,  and  I  am  much 
obliged  to  you  for  receiving  me." 

"  As  to  terms,  you  can  pay  whatever  you 
can  afford.  My  wife  and  children  will  be 
glad  to  see  you.  It's  pretty  quiet  out  here,  and 
it  breaks  the  monotony  to  meet  any  person 
froni  the  East," 


Making  His  Way.  245 

"  How  long  have  you  lived  in  Jackson,  Mr. 
Hamlin?  " 

"  About  eight  years.  I  was  not  brought  up 
as  a  farmer,  but  became  one  from  necessity. 
I  was  a  bookkeeper  in  Chicago  for  a  good  many 
years,  until  I  found  the  confinement  and  close 
work  were  injuring  my  health.  Then  I  came 
here  and  set  up  as  a  farmer.  I  got  along  pretty 
well,  at  first;  at  any  rate,  I  made  a  living  for 
my  family;  but  when  Mr.  Fairfield  became 
agent,  he  raised  my  rent,  and,  in  other  ways, 
made  it  hard  for  me.  Now  I  have  a  hard  strug 
gle." 

"  I  thought  you  were  not  always  a  farmer," 
said  Frank. 

"  What  made  you  think  so?  " 

"  You  don't  talk  like  a  farmer.  You  have 
the  appearance  of  a  man  who  has  lived  in 
cities." 

"  Seems  to  me  you  are  a  close  observer, 
for  a  boy  of  your  years,"  said  Mr.  Hamlin, 
shrewdly. 

Frank  smiled. 

"  I  should  be  glad  if  your  compliment  were 
deserved,"  he  answered.  "  It's  a  pity  you  were 
not  agent,  instead  of  Mr.  Fairfield,"  suggested 
Frank,  pointedly. 

"  I  wish  I  were,"  answered  Hamlin.  "  I 
believe  I  should  make  a  good  one,  though  I 
might  not  turn  over  as  much  money  to  my  em 
ployer.  I  should,  first  of  all,  lower  the  rents 
and  make  it  as  easy  for  the  tenants  as  I  could 
in  justice  to  my  New  York  principal." 


246  Making  His  Way. 

"  Do  you  know  how  much  Mr.  Fairfield  re 
ceives — how  large  a  salary,  I  mean?". 

"  I  know  what  Mr.  Sampson  got — twelve 
hundred  dollars  a  year ;  but  Mr.  Fairfield  lives 
at  the  rate  of  more  than  twice  that  sum,  if  I 
can  judge  from  appearances." 

"  I  suppose  you  would  be  contented  with 
the  salary  which  Mr.  Sampson  received?  " 

"  Contented !  I  should  feel  like  a  rich  man. 
It  would  not  interfere  with  my  carrying  on  my 
farm,  and  I  should  be  able  to  make  something 
from  that.  Why,  it  is  as  much  as  I  received 
as  a  bookkeeper,  and  here  the  expenses  of  living 
are  small,  compared  with  what  they  were  in 
Chicago.  I  could  save  money  and  educate  my 
children,  as  I  cannot  do  now.  I  have  a  boy 
who  wants  a  classical  education,  but  of  course 
there  are  no  schools  here  which  can  afford  it, 
and  I  am  too  poor  to  send  him  away  from  home. 
I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  bring  him  up  as  a 
farmer,  though  it  is  a  great  pity,  for  he  is  not 
fitted  for  it." 

Mr.  Hamlin  sighed,  but  Frank  felt  in  un 
usually  good  spirits.  He  saw  his  way  clear 
already,  not  only  to  recommend  Mr.  Fairfield's 
displacement,  but  to  urge  Mr.  Hamlin's  ap 
pointment  in  his  stead ;  that  is,  if  his  favorable 
impressions  were  confirmed  on  further  ac 
quaintance. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  the  driver,  changing 
the  subject,  "  you  might  find  something  better 
to  do  than  to  peddle  stationery." 


Making  His  Way.  247 

"  I  don't  mean  to  follow  the  business  long," 
answered  Frank. 

"  It  can't  pay  you  much." 

"  I  am  not  wholly  dependent  upon  it,"  said 
our  hero.  "  There  is  one  advantage  about  it. 
It  enables  me  to  travel  about  and  pay  my  ex 
penses,  and  you  know  traveling  is  agreeable  to 
a  boy  of  my  age." 

"  That  is  true.  Well,  your  expenses  won't 
amount  to  much  while  you  are  in  Jackson.  I 
shall  only  charge  you  just  enough  to  cover  ex 
penses — say  three  dollars  a  week." 

Frank  was  about  to  insist  on  paying  a  larger 
sum,  but  it  occurred  to  him  that  he  must  keep 
up  appearances,  and  he  therefore  only  thanked 
his  kind  acquaintance. 

By  this  time  they  had  entered  the  village  of 
Jackson. 

"  There's   Mr.    Fairfield   now ! "   said   Mr. 
Hamlin,  suddenly,  pointing  with  his  whip  to  a 
rather  tall,  stout  man,  with  a  red  nose  and  in 
flamed  countenance,  who  was  walking  unstead 
ily  along  the  sidewalk. 

Frank  carefully  scrutinized  the  agent,  and 
mentally  decided  that  such  a  man  was  unfit  for 
the  responsible  position  he  held. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

DICK  HAMLIN. 

Mil.  IIAMLIN  stopped  his  horse  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  from  the  village  in  front  of  a  plain  farm 
house. 


248  Making  His  Way. 

An  intelligent-looking  boy,  of  perhaps  fif 
teen,  coarsely  but  neatly  dressed,  approached 
and  greeted  his  father,  not  without  a  glance 
of  surprise  and  curiosity  at  Frank. 

"  You  may  unharness  the  horses,  Dick,"  said 
Mr.  Hamlin.  "  When  you  come  back,  I  will  in 
troduce  you  to  a  boy  friend  who  will  stay  with 
us  a  while." 

Dick  obeyed,  and  Frank  followed  his  host 
into  the  house. 

Here  he  was  introduced  to  Mrs.  Hamlin,  a 
motherly-looking  woman,  and  Annie  and 
Grace,  younger  sisters  of  Dick. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,"  said  Mrs.  Hamlin, 
to  our  hero,  after  a  brief  explanation  from  her 
husband.  "  We  will  try  to  make  you  comfort 
able." 

"  Thank  you  !  "  said  Frank.  "  I  am  sure  I 
shall  feel  at  home." 

The  house  was  better  furnished  than  might 
have  been  anticipated.  When  Mr.  Hamlin  left 
Chicago,  he  had  some  money  saved  up,  and  he 
furnished  his  house  in  a  comfortable  manner. 

It  was  not,  however,  the  furniture  that  at 
tracted  Frank's  attention  so  much  as  the 
books,  papers  and  pictures  that  gave  the  rooms 
a  homelike  appearance. 

"  I  shall  be  much  better  off  here  than  I  would 
have  been  at  the  tavern,"  he  thought.  "  This 
seems  like  home." 

"  I  see,"  said  Mr.  Hamlin,  "  that  you  are  sur 
prised  to  see  so  many  books  and  pictures.  I 


Making  His  Way.  249 

admit  that  my  house  does  not  look  like  the 
house  of  a  poor  man,  who  has  to  struggle  for 
the  mere  necessaries  of  life.  But  books  and 
periodicals  we  have  always  classed  among  the 
necessities,  and  I  am  sure  we  would  all  rather 
limit  ourselves  to  dry  bread  for  two  out  of  the 
three  meals  than  to  give  up  this  food  for  the 
mind." 

"  I  think  you  are  a  very  sensible  man,  Mr. 
Hamlin,"  said  Frank.  "  I  couldn't  get  along 
without  something  to  read." 

"  Not  in  this  out-of-the-way  place,  at  any 
rate,"  said  Mr.  Hamlin.  "  Nothing  can  be 
more  dismal  than  the  homes  of  some  of  my 
neighbors,  who  spend  as  much,  or  more,  than 
I  do  every  year.  Yet,  they  consider  me  extrava 
gant  because  I  buy  books  and  subscribe  for 
periodicals." 

By  this  time,  Dick  came  in  from  the  barn. 

"  Dick,"  said  his  father,  "  this  is  Frank 
Courtney,  who  comes  from  Chicago  on  a  busi 
ness  errand.  He  is  a  traveling  merchant— 

"  In  other  words,  a  peddler,"  said  Frank, 
with  a  smile,  "  ready  to  give  the  good  people 
in  Jackson  a  chance  to  buy  stationery  at 
reasonable  prices." 

"  He  will  board  with  us  while  he  is  canvass 
ing  the  neighborhood,  and  I  expect  you  and 
he  will  become  great  friends." 

"  I  think  we  shall,"  said  Frank. 

Dick  was  a  little  shy,  but  a  few  minutes  set 
him  quite  at  his  ease  with  his  new  acquaint 
ance. 


250  Making  His  Way. 

After  supper,  Frank  said : 

"  Dick,  if  you  are  at  leisure,  I  wish  you 
would  take  a  walk  about  the  village  with  me. 
I  want  to  see  how  it  looks." 

"  All  right,"  said  Dick. 

When  the  two  left  the  house,  the  country  boy 
began  to  ask  questions. 

"  How  do  you  like  your  business?  "  he  asked. 

"  Not  very  well,"  answered  Frank.  "  I  do 
not  think  I  shall  stay  in  it  very  long." 

"  Do  you  sell  enough  to  make  your  ex 
penses?"  asked  Dick. 

"  No ;  but  I  am  not  wholly  dependent  on 
my  sales.  I  have  a  little  income — a  hundred 
dollars  a  year — paid  me  by  my  stepfather." 

"  I  wish  I  had  as  much.  It  seems  a  good  deal 
to  me." 

"  It  doesn't  go  very  far.  What  are  you 
intending  to  be,  Dick?  " 

"  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  be  a  farmer, 
though  I  don't  like  it." 

"What  would  you  like  to  be?" 

' 1  should  like  to  get  an  education,"  said 
Dick,  his  eyes  lighting  up.  "  I  should  like  to 
study  Latin  and  Greek,  and  go  to  college. 
Then  I  could  be  a  teacher  or  a  lawyer.  But 
there  is  no  chance  of  that,"  he  added,  his  voice 
-falling. 

"  Don't  be  too  sure  of  that,  Dick,"  said 
Frank,  hopefully.  "  Something  may  turn  up  in 
your  favor." 

"  Nothing  ever  does  turn  up  in  Jackson," 


Making  His  Way.  25  . 

said  the  boy,  in  a  tone  of  discouragement. 
"  Father  is  a  poor  man,  and  has  hard  work  to 
get  along.  He  can  give  me  no  help." 

"  Isn't  the  farm  productive?  " 

"  There  is  no  trouble  about  that,  but  he  has 
to  pay  too  high  a  rent.  It's  all  the  fault  of 
Fairfield." 

"The  agent?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Your  father  was  telling  me  about  him. 
Now,  if  your  father  were  in  his  place,  I  sup 
pose  he  could  give  you  the  advantages  you 
wish." 

"  Oh,  yes!  There  would  be  no  trouble  then. 
I  am  sure  he  would  make  a  better  and  more 
popular  agent  than  Mr.  Fairfield ;  but  there  is 
no  use  thinking  about  that." 

"  I  expected  myself  to  go  to  college,"  said 
Frank.  "  In  fact,  I  have  studied  Latin  and 
Greek,  and  in  less  than  a  year  I  could  be  ready 
to  enter." 

"  Why  don't  you?  "  asked  Dick. 

"  You  forget  that  I  am  a  poor  peddler." 

"  Then  how  were  you  able  to  get  so  good  an 
education  ?  "  asked  Dick,  in  surprise. 

"  Because  I  was  once  better  off  than  I  am 
now.  The  fact  is,  Dick,"  he  added,  "  I  have 
seen  better  days.  But  when  I  was  reduced  to 
poverty,  I  gave  up  hopes  of  a  college  education 
and  became  what  I  am." 

"Wasn't  it  hard?" 

"  Not  so  much  as  you  might  suppose.     My 


252  Making  His  Way. 

home  was  not  happy.  I  have  a  stepfather  and 
stepbrother,  neither  of  whom  I  like.  In  fact, 
there  is  no  love  lost  between  us.  I  was  not 
obliged  to  leave  home,  but  under  the  circum 
stances  I  preferred  to." 

"  Where  are  your  stepfather  and  your  step 
brother  now?  " 

"  They  are  traveling  in  Europe." 

"While  you  are  working  hard  for  a  living! 
That  does  not  .seem  to  be  just." 

"  We  must  make  the  best  of  circumstances, 
Dick.  Whose  is  that  large  house  on  the  left?  " 

"  That  belongs  to  Mr.  Fairfield." 

"  He  seems  to  live  nicely." 

"  Yes,  he  has  improved  and  enlarged  the 
house  a  good  deal  since  he  moved  into  it — at 
Mr.  PercivaFs  expense,  I  suppose." 

"  He  seems  to  have  pretty  much  his  own 
way  here,"  said  Frank. 

"  Yes.  Mr.  Percival  never  comes  to  Jack 
son,  and  I  suppose  he  believes  all  that  the 
agent  tells  him." 

"  He  may  get  found  out  some  time." 

"  I  wish  he  might.  It  would  be  a  great 
blessing  to  Jackson  if  he  were  removed  and  a 
good  man  were  put  in  his  place." 

"  That  may  happen  some  day." 

"  Not  very  likely,  I  am  afraid." 

At  this  moment  Mr.  Fairfield  himself  came 
out  of  his  front  gate. 

"  Hello,  Hamlin !  "  he  said,  roughly,  to  Dick. 
"  Is  your  father  at  home?  " 


Making  His  Way.  253 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  I  have  something  to  say  to  him.  I  think 
I  will  call  round." 

"  You  will  find  him  at  home,  sir." 

"  Dick,"  said  Frank,  when  the  agent  had 
passed  on,  "do  you  mind  going  back?  What 
you  tell  me  makes  me  rather  curious  about 
Mr.  Fairfield.  At  your  house  I  may  get  a 
chance  to  see  something  of  him." 

"  Let  us  go  back,  then,"  said  Dick ;  "  but  I 
don't  think,  Frank,  that  you  will  care  much 
about  keeping  up  the  acquaintance." 

"Perhaps  not;  but  I  shall  gratify  my  curi 
osity." 

The  two  boys  turned  and  followed  the  agent 
closely.  They  reached  the  house  about  five 
minutes  after  Mr.  Fairfield. 


CHAPTER  XLIL 

MR.  FAIRFIELD,  THE  AGENT. 

THE  two  boys  found  Mr.  Fairfield  already 
seated  in  the  most  comfortable  chair  in  the  sit 
ting-room. 

He  looked  inquiringly  at  Frank  when  he  en 
tered  with  Dick. 

"Who  is  that  boy,  Hamlin?"  inquired  the 
agent.  "Nephew  of  yours?" 

"  No,  sir.  It  is  a  young  man  who  has  come 
to  Jackson  on  business." 

"What  kind  of  business?" 

"  I  sell  stationery,"  Frank  answered  for  him 
self. 


254  Making  His  Way. 

"  Oh,  a  peddler !  "  said  the  agent,  contemptu 
ously. 

"  Many  of  our  most  successful  men  began  in 
that  way/7  said  Mr.  Hamlin,  fearing  lest 
Frank's  feelings  might  be  hurt. 

"  I  never  encourage  peddlers  myself,"  said 
Mr.  Fairfield,  pompously. 

"  Then  I  suppose  it  will  be  of  no  use  for  me 
to  call  at  your  door,"  said  Frank,  who,  in  place 
of  being  mortified,  was  amused  by  the  agent's 
arrogance. 

"  I  should  say  not,  unless  your  back  is  proof 
against  a  broomstick,"  answered  Fairfield, 
coarsely.  "  I  tell  my  servant  to  treat  all  who 
call  in  that  way." 

"  I  won't  put  her  to  the  trouble  of  using  it," 
said  Frank,  disgusted  at  the  man's  ill  man 
ners. 

"  That's  where  you  are  wise — yes,  wise  and 
prudent — young  man." 

Mr.  Fairfield  was  far  from  supposing  that 
the  boy  whom  he  considered  so  insignificant 
was  sitting  in  judgment  upon  him,  and  even 
held  his  fate  in  his  hands.  The  idea  would 
have  seemed  to  him  the  wildest  absurdity. 
Had  he  really  believed  it,  however,  he  would 
have  been  as  obsequious  as  he  was  insolent. 

"  And  now,  Hamlin,"  said  the  agent,  "  I  may 
as  well  come  to  business." 

"  To  business !  "  repeated  the  farmer,  rather 
surprised,  for  there  was  no  rent  due  for  a 
month  to  come. 


Making  His  Way.  255 

"  Yes,  to  business,"  said  Fairfield.  "  I  came 
to  give  you  notice  that  after  the  next  payment 
I  shall  feel  obliged  to  raise  your  rent." 

"  Raise  my  rent !  "  exclaimed  the  farmer,  in 
genuine  dismay.  "  I  am  already  paying  a  con 
siderably  higher  rent  than  I  paid  to  your  prede 
cessor." 

"  Can't  help  it.  Old  Sampson  was  a  slow- 
going  old  fogy.  He  didn't  do  his  duty  by  his 
employer.  When  I  came  in,  I  turned  over  a 
new  leaf." 

"  You  certainly  did,"  the  farmer  could  not 
help  saying,  bitterly. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that,  eh?  "  asked  the 
agent,  suspiciously. 

"  I  mean  to  agree  with  you,  sir." 

"  I  suppose  you  liked  old  Sampson  better 
than  you  do  me?  " 

"  I  certainly  got  along  better  in  his  time." 

"  No  doubt.  He  was  a  great  deal  too  easy 
with  you.  Didn't  do  his  duty,  sir.  Wasn't 
sharp  enough.  That's  all." 

"  You  certainly  cannot  be  in  earnest  in  rais 
ing  my  rent,  Mr.  Fairfield,"  said  the  farmer, 
uneasily. 

"  I  certainly  am." 

"  I  can  hardly  get  along  as  it  is.  I  find  it 
hard  to  make  both  ends  meet." 

"  Of  course  I  expected  to  hear  you  say  that, 
but  it's  all  bosh,"  said  the  agent,  coarsely. 
"  Why,  I  need  only  to  look  around  me  to  see 
signs  of  luxury — books,  magazines,  pictures, 


256  Making  His  Way. 

nice  furniture.  Come,  Hamlin,  that  won't  do. 
There's  no  one  in  Jackson,  except  myself,  that 
can  show  such  a  sitting-room  as  this." 

"  If  you  allude  to  the  pictures  and  furniture, 
I  brought  them  with  me.  As  to  the  papers 
and  books,  we  economize  in  every  other  direc 
tion  in  order  to  afford  these.  Living  out  of  the 
world,  as  we  do,  we  can't  get  along  very  well 
without  them." 

"  Just  so ;  only  you  are  not  living  like  the 
poor  man  you  pretend  to  be." 

"  I  can't  live  at  all  if  you  increase  my  rent, 
which  is  already  larger  than  I  can  afford  to 
pay,  Mr.  Fairfield." 

"  Oh,  I  won't  raise  it  much — say  ten  dollars 
a  quarter." 

"  I  can't  pay  it."    • 

"  Then  I  must  find  a  tenant  who  can  and 
will,"  said  the  agent,  empathcially. 

"  In  other  words,  you  mean  to  turn  me  out, 
Mr.  Fairfield?" 

"  Only  if  you  won't  pay  your  rent.  That  is 
fair,  is  it  not?  " 

"  The  rent  is  very  unfair.  You  are  a  very 
hard  man,  Mr.  Fairfield." 

"  You  forget,  Hamlin,  that  I  am  only  an 
agent.  Mr.  Percival  writes  me  that  he  doesn't 
receive  enough  income  from  his  property  out 
here.  Well,  of  course,  I  have  to  obey  his  orders. 
The  only  way  to  get  a  larger  increase  is  to 
raise  the  rents,  don't  you  see?  " 

"  Is  there  to  be  a  general  raise,  Mr.  Fair- 
field?  » 


Making  His  Way.  257 

"  Yes.  You  are  the  first  one  I've  come  to, 
but  I  shall  see  the  rest." 

"  Then  I  am  sorry  for  my  neighbors.  They 
are  no  better  able  to  pay  a  larger  rent  than 
I  am." 

"  Oh,  they'll  agree  to  it  when  they  find  they 
have  to,"  said  Fairfield,  carelessly. 

"  I  am  sure  Mr.  Percival  can't  understand 
the  true  state  of  the  case,  or  the  circumstances 
of  his  tenants.  Will  you  give  me  his  address, 
and  I  will  take  the  liberty  of  writing  to  him 
and  respectfully  remonstrate  against  any  in 
crease?  " 

Mr.  Fairfield  looked  uneasy. 

This  appeal  would  not  at  all  suit  him.  Yet 
how  could  he  object  without  leading  to  the 
suspicion  that  he  was  acting  in  this  matter 
wholly  on  his  own  responsibility,  and  not  by 
the  express  orders  of  his  principal?  How 
could  he  refuse  to  furnish  Mr.  Percival's  ad 
dress? 

A  middle  course  occurred  to  him. 

"  You  may  write  your  appeal  if  you  like, 
Hamlin,"  he  said,  "  and  hand  it  to  me.  I  will 
forward  it;  though  I  don't  believe  it  will  do 
any  good.  The  fact  is  that  Mr.  Percival  has 
made  up  his  mind  to  have  more  income  from 
his  property  in  Jackson." 

"  He  never  troubled  us  when  Mr.  Sampson 
was  agent,  though  we  paid  smaller  rents  than 
we  do  now." 

"  Very  likely ;  but  he  was  better  off  then. 


258  Making  His  Way. 

He  has  been  losing  money  by  bad  investments 
lately,  and  this  leads  him  to  put  on  ihe  screws 
here." 

There  was  no  truth  in  this  story,  as  may 
readily  be  believed.  It  was  the  invention  of  the 
moment,  and  struck  Mr.  Fairfield  as  very 
clever.  For  truth  he  cared  little  or  nothing, 
providing  he  could  further  his  own  designs. 

The  agent  had  said  what  he  came  to  say,  and 
took  his  leave. 

Mr.  Hamlin  was  depressed  by  his  visit. 

"  I  don't  see  what  I  am  to  do,"  he  said  to 
his  wife.  "  It  is  only  by  the  greatest  effort 
that  I  can  pay  my  present  rent,  and  to  pay 
forty  dollars  a  year  more  is  simply  impossible." 

"Won't  Mr.  Fairfield  relent?"  asked  his 
wife. 

"  Not  he.  He  will  exact  the  last  dollar  of  his 
demand." 

"  Mr.  Hamlin,"  said  Frank,  "  don't  be  dis 
couraged.  Better  times  may  be  nearer  than 
you  suppose." 

"  I  wish  I  could  think  so." 

"  At  any  rate,  hope  for  the  best." 

"  I  will,  if  I  can." 

That  evening  Frank  wrote  a  long  letter  to 
Mr.  Percival,  communicating  the  information 
he  had  already  obtained  as  to  the  character 
and  methods  of  his  agent. 

He  had  been  in  Jackson  only  a  few  hours, 
but  he  felt  that  he  had  already  discovered 
enough  to  condemn  the  unfaithful  steward. 


Making  His  Way.  259 

This  letter  he  mailed  the  very  first  thing  on 
the  following  morning,  and  then  quietly 
awaited  an  answer.  It  might  be  a  week  be 
fore  he  could  receive  a  reply  to  his  letter. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

FRANK  RECEIVES  A  LETTER  FROM  MR.  PERCIVAL. 

WHILE  Frank  wras  waiting  for  an  answer  to 
his  letter,  he  devoted  a  part  of  this  time  daily 
to  the  business  which  was  supposed  to  be  his 
only  reason  for  remaining  in  Jackson. 

I  am  bound  to  say  that  as  regards  this 
business  his  trip  might  be  pronounced  a  fail 
ure.  There  was  little  ready  money  in  Jackson. 
Many  of  the  people  were  tenants  of  Mr.  Perci- 
val,  and  found  it  difficult  to  pay  the  excessive 
rents  demanded  by  his  agent.  Of  course,  they 
had  no  money  to  spare  for  extras.  Even  if 
they  had  been  better  off,  there  was  little  de 
mand  for  stationery  in  the  village.  The  people 
were  chiefly  farmers,  and  did  not  indulge  in 
much  correspondence. 

When  Frank  returned  to  his  boarding  place 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  first  day,  Mr.  Hamlin 
asked  him,  not  without  solicitude,  with  what 
luck  he  had  met. 

"  I  have  sold  twenty-five  cents'  worth  of  note 
paper,"  answered  Frank,  with  a  smile. 

Mr.  Hamlin  looked  troubled. 

"  How  many  places  did  you  call  at?  "  he  in 
quired. 


260  Making  His  Way. 

"  About  a  dozen." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  will  get  discouraged." 

"  I  am  not  easily  discouraged,  Mr.  Hamlin." 

"  If  you  don't  do  better,  you  won't  begin  to 
pay  expenses." 

"  That  is  true." 

"  But  perhaps  you  may  do  better  to-mor 
row." 

"  I  hope  so." 

The  next  day  Frank  succeeded  in  making 
sales  to  the  amount  of  thirty-two  cents,  and  so 
reported  to  his  host. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  won't  care  to  remain 
long  in  Jackson,"  said  the  farmer,  with  whom, 
as  well  as  his  family,  our  hero  had  already  be 
come  a  favorite. 

"  I  think  I  shall  remain  a  fortnight,"  an 
swered  Frank,  "  whatever  luck  I  meet  with. 
I  have  done  much  better  for  some  time  past; 
and  can  afford  to  give  myself  a  little  rest." 

"  I  am  glad  you  don't  feel  troubled  by  your 
poor  success,  Frank." 

"  You  make  me  feel  so  much  at  home,"  said 
Frank,  "  that  I  don't  care  much  for  a  short 
time  how  my  business  prospers." 

"  I  wish  you  could  find  something  in  Jack 
son  that  would  induce  you  to  remain  here  per 
manently,  and  make  your  home  with  us.  I 
would  charge  you  only  the  bare  cost  of 
board." 

"  Thank  you  very  much,  Mr.  Hamlin.  I 
should  enjoy  being  with  you,  but  I  don't  believe 


Making  His  Way.  261 

I  shall  find  any  opening  here.  Besides,  I  like 
a  more  stirring  life." 

"  No  doubt — no  doubt !  Boys  like  a  lively 
place.  Well,  I  am  glad  you  feel  independent 
of  your  business." 

"  For  a  little  time.  I  am  afraid  it  wouldn't 
do  for  me  to  earn  so  little  for  any  length  of 
time." 

Frank  enjoyed  the  society  of  Dick  Hamlin. 
Together  they  went  fishing  and  hunting,  and  a 
mutual  liking  sprang  up  between  them. 

"  I  wish  you  were  going  to  stay  longer, 
Frank,"  said  Dick.  "  I  shall  feel  lonely  when 
you  are  gone." 

"  We  may  meet  again  under  different  cir 
cumstances,"  said  Frank.  "  While  I  am  here, 
we  will  enjoy  ourselves  as  well  as  we  can." 

So  the  days  passed,  and  at  length  a  letter 
came  from  Mr.  Percival.  I  append  the  most 
important  passages : 

"  Your  report  is  clear,  and  I  have  perfect 
confidence  in  your  statement.  Mr.  Fairfield 
has  abused  my  confidence  and  oppressed  my 
tenants,  and  I  shall  dismiss  him.  I  am  glad 
you  have  found  in  Jackson  a  man  who  is 
capable  of  succeeding  him.  Solely  upon  your 
recommendation,  I  shall  appoint  Mr.  Hamlin 
my  resident  agent  and  representative  for  the 
term  of  six  months.  Should  he  acquit  himself 
to  my  satisfaction,  he  will  be  continued  in  the 
position.  I  am  prepared  to  offer  him  one  hun- 


262  Making  His  Way. 

dred  dollars  a  month,  if  that  will  content  him. 

"  Upon  receipt  of  this  letter,  and  the  accorn- 
panying  legal  authority,  you  may  call  upon  Mr. 
Fairfield  and  require  him  to  transfer  his  office, 
and  the  papers  and  accounts  connected  with  it, 
to  Mr.  Hamlin.  I  inclose  a  check  for  three 
hundred  dollars,  payable  to  your  order,  which 
you  may  make  payable  to  him,  in  lieu  of  three 
months'  notice,  provided  he  immediately  sur 
renders  his  office.  Should  he  not,  I  shall  dis 
miss  him  summarily,  and  proceed  against  him 
for  the  moneys  he  has  misappropriated  to  his 
own  use,  and  you  may  so  inform  him." 

With  this  letter  was  a  letter  to  Mr.  Fairfield, 
of  the  same  purport,  and  a  paper  appointing 
Mr.  Hamlin  agent. 

When  this  letter  was  received,  Frank  was 
overjoyed,  knowing  how  much  pleasure  he  was 
about  to  give  his  new  friends. 

With  this  appointment  and  salary,  Mr.  Ham 
lin  would  consider  himself  a  rich  man,  and 
Dick's  hope  for  a  liberal  education  might  be 
realized. 

The  letter  came  just  before  supper,  and,  at 
the  close  of  the  evening  meal,  Frank  deter 
mined  to  inform  his  friends  of  their  good  for 
tune. 

"  Mr.  Hamlin,"  said  he,  "  I  have  some  good 
news  for  you." 

"  Indeed !  "  said  the  farmer,  surprised. 


Making  His  Way.  263 

"  Your  rent  will  not  be  increased." 

"  But  how  do  you  know  this?  Has  Mr.  Fair- 
field  told  you  so?" 

"  No/7  answered  Frank.  "  I  have  a  question 
to  ask.  Would  you  be  willing  to  take  Mr. 
Fairfield's  place  at  a  hundred  dollars  a 
month?" 

"  Willing?  I  should  be  delighted  to  do  so. 
But  why  do  you  say  this?  " 

"  Because,"  answered  Frank,  quietly,  "  I  am 
authorized  to  offer  it  to  you  at  that  salary." 

The  whole  family  looked  at  Frank  in  be 
wildered  surprise.  It  occurred  to  them  that  he 
might  have  become  crazy. 

"  You !  "  exclaimed  the  farmer.  "  What  can 
you  have  to  do  with  the  agency?  " 

"  I  came  to  Jackson,"  answered  Frank, 
quietly,  "  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Percival,  and 
as  his  representative.  You  are  surprised  that 
he  should  select  a  young  peddler,  but  I  came 
here  in  that  capacity  only  to  avoid  suspicion. 
I  am  Mr.  Percival's  private  secretary  when  in 
New  York,  and  he  had  sufficient  confidence  in 
me  to  send  me  here  to  make  an  examination 
and  report.  I  have  recommended  your  ap 
pointment  as  agent,  and  he  authorized  me  to 
offer  it  to  you." 

"  I  can  hardly  believe  my  ears,"  said  the 
farmer,  amazement  struggling  with  joy. 

"  Let  me  read  you  Mr.  Percival's  letter,  just 
received,"  said  Frank.  "  That  will  confirm 
my  statement." 


264  Making  His  Way. 

The  whole  family  listened  eagerly,  while  our 
hero  read  the  letter  already  referred  to.  Of 
course  this  removed  all  doubt. 

Mr.  Hamlin  was  much  moved. 

He  grasped  Frank's  hand,  and  said,  fer 
vently  : 

"  I  feel  that  I  owe  all  this  good  fortune  to 
you,  my  dear  young  friend.  You  will  be  able 
to  feel  that  you  have  given  me  a  new  life,  and 
made  a  whole  family  happy." 

"  I  am  glad  on  your  account,"  said  Frank ; 
"  but  I  must  say,  candidly,  that  if  I  had  not 
believed  you  to  be  thoroughly  competent,  I 
would  not  have  recommended  you  for  this 
post." 

"  But  would  not  Mr.  Percival  have  given 
it  to  you?  Have  you  not  sacrificed  your  own 
interest  to  mine?  " 

Frank  shook  his  head. 

"  I  am  but  a  boy,"  he  said-—"  quite  too  young 
for  such  duties.  Besides,  I  prefer  to  stay  in 
New  York.  You  are  the  man  to  discharge 
them  to  the  satisfaction  both  of  Mr.  Percival 
and  your  townsmen." 

Dick,  who  was  an  impulsive  boy,  put  his 
arm  affectionately  around  Frank's  neck. 

"  Dear  Frank,"  he  said.  "  I  liked  you  be 
fore;  now  I  love  you." 

"  I  accept  your  friendship,  Dick,  and  I  re 
turn  it  fully,"  said  Frank,  warmly.  "  And 
now,  Mr.  Hamlin,  will  you  accompany  me  to 
the  house  of  Mr.  Fairfield?  I  wish  to  finish 
my  mission,  and  go  back  to  New  York." 


Making  His  Way.  265 

"  I  am  sorry  for  the  poor  man,"  said  the 
farmer.  "  I  suppose  he  doesn't  deserve  it, 
but  he  has  my  sympathy." 

The  two  set  out  for  the  house  of  the  agent. 


CHAPTEE  XLIV. 

THE  AGENT  IS  NOTIFIED. 

IT  was  still  early  in  the  evening  when 
Frank  and  Mr.  Hamlin  reached  the  house  of 
the  agent.  Had  they  come  five  minutes  later, 
they  would  have  found  him  absent.  Usually, 
soon  after  supper,  he  made  his  way  to  the 
tavern,  where  he  spent  his  time  and  money  in 
a  very  unprofitable  way. 

The  agent  was  surprised  when  his  two  visi 
tors  made  their  appearance. 

"  What  brings  you  here,  Hamlin?  "  he  asked, 
with  scant  ceremony. 

"  I  come  on  a  little  matter  of  business,"  an 
swered  Mr.  Hamlin,  gravely. 

Mr.  Fairfield  concluded  that  the  farmer  had 
come  to  make  an  appeal  to  have  his  rent  con 
tinued  at  the  old  rates,  and  answered,  impati 
ently  : 

"  I  don't  think  it  will  be  of  much  use.  My 
mind  is  made  up.  Have  you  come  on  business, 
also? "  he  asked,  turning  to  Frank,  with  a 
sneer. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  answered  our  young  hero, 
quietly. 


266  Making  His  Way. 

"  That  will  be  of  no  use,  either,"  said  the 
agent.  "  I  am  not  in  want  of  stationery,  and, 
if  I  were,  I  should  not  buy  of  a  peddler." 

"  I  have  not  come  here  to  sell  stationery, 
Mr.  Fairfield,"  said  Frank. 

"  Then,  may  I  take  the  liberty  of  asking 
what  is  your  business  here?  " 

"  I  come  on  the  same  business  as  Mr.  Ham- 
lin,"  answered  Frank,  who  preferred  that  his 
companion  should  introduce  the  subject. 
.  "  Look  here,  I  have  no  time  for  trifling,"  said 
Mr.  Fairfield,  angrily.  "  I  am  going  out  and 
can  only  spare  you  five  minutes." 

"  Mr.  Fairfield,  I  would  advise  you  not  to 
go  out  till  you  have  heard  what  I  have  to  say," 
said  the  farmer,  in  a  meaning  tone. 

"  I  certainly  shall.  You  can  call  some  other 
time.'' 

"  Another  time  will  not  do." 

"  Look  here,  sir !  Do  you  know  to  whom 
you  are  talking?  How  dare  you  use  such  a 
tone  to  Mr.  Percival's  representative?  " 

"  I  suppose  you  don't  always  expect  to  be 
Mr.  Percival's  representative?" 

"  I  suppose  I  shall  die  sometime,  if  that's 
what  you  mean ;  but  I  am  not  dead  yet,  as  you 
will  find.  To  pay  you  for  your  impertinence,  I 
shall  increase  your  rent  more  than  I  intended. 
I'll  drive  you  out  of  town — that's  what  I'll 
do." 

This  was  accompanied  by  an  angry  stamp 
of  the  foot,  which,  however,  did  not  frighten 
Mr.  Hamlin  much. 


Making  His  Way.  267 

"  I  shall  not  pay  a  dollar  more  rent,  nor 
shall  I  leave  the  farm  I  occupy,"  returned  Mr. 
Hamlin,  whose  patience  was  exhausted  by  the 
rough  insolence  of  the  man  before  him. 

"  So  you  defy  me,  do  you?  "  demanded  Fair- 
field,  furiously. 

"  I  shall  resist  your  injustice,  sir,  or  rather 
I  would  do  so  if  you  were  able  to  carry  out 
your  threat.  Luckily  you  have  not  the  power." 

"  Have  not  the  power?  You  will  see  if  I 
have  not  the  power ! "  roared  the  angry  agent. 
"  I  give  you  notice  that  at  the  end  of  the 
quarter  you  must  go,  at  any  rate.  After  your 
insolence,  I  won't  let  you  stay  on  any  terms. 
I  wouldn't  let  you  stay  if  you  would  pay 
double  the  rent.  Do  you  hear  me,  Hamlin?" 

"  Yes,  I  heard  you." 

Mr.  Fairfield  looked  at  the  farmer  in  sur 
prise.  The  latter  seemed  perfectly  calm  and 
undisturbed  by  his  threat,  though  it  was  of 
the  most  serious  nature.  He  had  expected  to 
see  him  humbled,  and  to  hear  him  entreat  a 
reversal  of  the  sentence;  but  his  tenant  was 
thoroughly  self-possessed,  and  appeared  to 
care  nothing  for  the  agent's  threats. 

"  You  need  not  expect  that  I  will  change 
my  mind,"  he  added.  "  Out  of  Jackson  you 
must  go.  I  know  there  is  no  other  farm  which 
you  can  hire,  and  while  I  am  Mr.  Percival's 
agent,  you  need  expect  no  favors  from  me." 

"  I  don't  expect  any  while  you  are  Mr.  Perci 
val's  agent,"  said  Mr.  Hamlin. 


268  Making  His  Way. 

There  was  something  in  the  farmer's  tone 
that  arrested  the  agent's  attention  and  excited 
his  curiosity,  though  it  did  not  awaken  his 
alarm,  and  he  could  not  help  saying: 

"  Then  what  do  you  expect?  Do  you  think 
I  am  going  to  die?  " 

"  I  don't  expect  that  you  will  die  or  resign, 
Mr.  Fairfield.  You  may  be  removed." 

"  Have  you  been  writing  to  Mr.  Percival?  " 
exclaimed  Fairfield,  in  mingled  anger  and  ap 
prehension. 

"No,  sir;  I  have  not  communicated  with 
him  in  any  way.  You  would  not  give  me  his 
address." 

"  Of  course  I  would  not,"  said  the  agent,  feel 
ing  relieved.  "  It  would  be  mere  impertinence 
for  you  to  write  to  him." 

"  Fortunately  there  is  no  immediate  occa* 
sion  for  me  to  do  so,  as  he  has  sent  a  repre 
sentative  here  to  investigate  your  official  con 
duct." 

"  A  representative !  "  exclaimed  Fairfield, 
now  thoroughly  startled.  "  Where  is  he?  I 
have  not  seen  him." 

"  He  is  present,"  said  Mr.  Hamlin,  indica 
ting  Frank. 

The  agent  broke  into  a  scornful  laugh. 

"  What !  the  peddler?  "  he  exclaimed.  "  You 
are  either  crazy,  or  think  I  am  a  fool." 

"  Neither,  sir,"  said  Frank,  thinking  it  was 
time  to  speak.  "  What  Mr.  Hamlin  says  is 
perfectly  true." 


Making  His  Way,  269 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me,"  said  the  agent, 
incredulously,  "  that  Mr.  Percival  would  send 
out  a  boy — a  mere  baby — to  look  after  his 
affairs,  and  sit  in  judgment  upon  me?  " 

"  Perhaps  Mr.  Percival  had  too  much 
confidence  in  me,"  returned  Frank,  "  but  it  is 
so." 

"  You?    Why,  you  are  a  peddler !  " 

"  Only  in  appearance,  Mr.  Fairfield-  I  as 
sumed  that  business  in  order  not  to  attract  at 
tention  or  excite  suspicion.  I  am  really  Mr. 
PercivaPs  private  secretary,  as  I  can  prove  to 
your  satisfaction." 

The  agent  regarded  our  hero  with  amaze 
ment  and  alarm. 

"  Is  this  true?  "  he  asked,  in  a  changed  voice. 

"Yes,  sir;  quite  true." 

"Have  you  written  to  Mr.  Percival?" 

"Yes,  sir;  and  this  afternoon  I  received  a 
letter  from  him." 

"  What  did  he  write?  "  asked  Fairfield,  in  a 
husky  voice;  for  he  was  convinced  now  that 
Frank  spoke  the  truth. 

"  He  removes  you,  inclosing  a  check  for  three 
hundred  dollars  in  place  of  notice,  and  ap 
points  Mr.  Hamlin  in  your  place." 

"  This  is  a  hoax !  You  are  playing  a  joke 
upon  me,"  said  Fairfield,  in  dismay. 

"  Will  you  read  this  letter,  sir?  " 

The  agent  took  it  mechanically  and  read  it. 
Badly  as  he  had  mismanaged  his  office,  Frank 
could  not  help  pitying  him. 


270  Making  His  Way. 

"  I  should  like  a  few  words  with  you  alone," 
he  said. 

Frank  followed  him  into  an  adjoining  room. 

"  Young  man,"  said  the  agent,  "  I  want  you 
to  use  your  influence  with  Mr.  Percival  to 
keep  me  in  office.  I  may  have  made  some  mis 
takes,  but  I  will  reform.  I  won't  raise  Ham- 
lin's  rent.  In  fact,  I  will  lower  it  to  the  figure 
he  paid  in  old  Sampson's  time.  As  for  you, 
I  will  make  it  worth  your  while." 

Frank  understood  very  well  that  a  bribe 
was  meant,  and  answered,  gravely : 

"  It  is  impossible,  Mr.  Fairfield." 

"  Then  I  will  resist,"  said  the  agent,  des 
perately.  "  What  are  you  going  to  do  about 
it?" 

"  You  will  forfeit  the  check  I  am  authorized 
to  offer  you,  and  Mr.  Percival  will  prosecute 
you  for  keeping  back  money  that  belongs  to 
him." 

It  was  enough.  Fairfield  knew  that  his 
management  would  not  stand  investigation, 
and  he  yielded  with  a  bad  grace. 

Mr.  Hamlin,  the  next  day,  to  the  great  joy 
of  the  villagers,  made  known  his  appoint 
ment. 

Fairfield  left  town  and  drifted  to  California, 
where  he  became  an  adventurer,  living  in  a 
miserable  and  precarious  manner.  Mr.  Ham 
lin  moved  into  his  fine  house,  and  Dick  was 
sent  to  a  classical  school  to  prepare  for  col 
lege. 


Making  Mis  Way.  271 

The  next  day  Frank  started  on  his  return  to 
New  York. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

AN  IMPORTANT  DISCOVERY. 

ON  his  return  to  New  York,  Frank  had  no 
reason  to  be  dissatisfied  with  his  reception. 
From  Mr.  Percival  to  Freddie,  all  the  family 
seemed  delighted  to  see  him. 

"  You  mustn't  go  away  again,  Frank,"  said 
little  Freddie.  "  I  want  to  see  you  ever  so 
much." 

"  And  I  wanted  to  see  you,  Freddie,"  said 
our  hero,  his  heart  warming  to  the  little  boy. 

"  You  won't  go  away  again,  will  you, 
Frank?" 

"  Not  if  I  can  help  it,  Freddie." 

"  We  are  all  glad  to  see  you  back,  Frank," 
said  his  employer.  "  But  you  have  justified 
my  opinion  of  you  by  your  success.  Some  of 
my  friends  ridiculed  me  for  sending  a  boy  on 
such  an  important  mission,  but  I  don't  believe 
any  of  them  would  have  succeeded  any  better 
than  you,  if  as  well." 

"  I  am  glad  you  are  satisfied  with  me,  sir  " 
said  Frank,  very  much  gratified  by  the  c- 
mendation  of  his  employer. 

"  I  feel  that  you  have  done  a  great  service, 
and  indeed  I  don't  know  whom  1  could  have 


272  Making  His  Way. 

sent  in  your  place.  However,  I  am  glad  to 
see  you  back  again.  I  have  missed  you  about 
my  letters,  and  have  postponed  answering 
some  till  my  young  secretary  returned." 

Frank  resumed  his  regular  employment,  and 
three  months  passed  without  anything  that 
needs  to  be  recorded. 

At  the  end  of  that  time,  Frank  received  an 
important  letter  from  Col.  Vincent,  which  gave 
him  much  food  for  thought. 

The  letter  was  as  follows : 

"  DEAR  FRANK  :  For  some  time  past  I  have 
been  intending  to  write  to  you,  but  have  de 
layed  for  no  good  reason.  Now,  however,  I  am 
led  to  write  by  a  surprising  discovery  which 
has  just  been  made  in  your  old  home,  which 
may  be  of  material  importance  to  you. 

"  When  your  stepfather  went  away,  he  re 
quested  me  to  have  an  eye  to  the  estate,  and 
order  whatever  I  might  think  necessary  to  be 
done.  I  am  not,  as  you  know,  a  very  cordial 
friend  of  Mr.  Manning's,  but  I  have  always 
regarded  the  property  as  of  right  belonging 
to  you — that  is,  since  your  mother's  death — 
and  so  accepted  the  commission. 

"  A  few  days  since  I  went  over  the  house 
and  found  that  it  was  quite  dirty.  Where  the 
dirt  could  come  from  in  an  unoccupied  house 
I  can't  tell,  but,  at  all  events,  I  felt  justified 
in  engaging  a  woman  to  clean  the  paint,  so, 
if  any  of  you  should  return  unexpectedly, 


Making  His  Way.  273 

you  would  find  the  house  fit  to  receive  you. 
This  was  a  very  simple  matter,  you  will  think, 
and  scarcely  needs  mentioning.  But,  my  dear 
Frank,  events  of  importance  often  hinge  on 
trifles,  and  so  it  has  proved  in  the  present  in 
stance. 

"  On  the  evening  of  the  second  day  I  re 
ceived  a  call  from  Mrs.  Noonan,  whom  I  had 
employed  to  scrub  the  house.  She  had  in  her 
hand  a  folded  paper,  which  she  gave  to  me. 

" '  Here  is  something  I  found,  sir,  while  I 
was  scrubbing/  she  said. 

"  I  opened  it  indifferently,  but  conceive  of 
my  amazement  when  I  found  it  to  be  your 
mother's  will,  properly  signed,  sealed  and  wit 
nessed. 

"  Of  course  it  was  not  the  will  which  Mr. 
Manning  presented  for  probate.  This  will 
gave  Mr.  Manning  ten  thousand  dollars,  and 
the  residue  of  the  property  to  you,  except  a 
small  amount  bestowed  upon  Richard  Green, 
the  coachman,  and  Deborah — sums  larger,  by 
the  way,  than  those  mentioned  in  the  wiil 
which  was  read  after  your  mother's  death. 

"  <  Where  did  you  find  this,  Mrs.  Noonan? ' 
I  asked. 

"  '  Shure,  sir,  I  was  scrubbing  the  paint, 
whin,  all  at  once,  there  was  a  little  door  opened 
in  the  wall,  and,  inside  a  cupboard  like,  I  saw 
this  paper.  I  thought  it  might  be  something 
you  ought  to  see,  and  so  I  brought  it  to  you, 
sir.' 


274  Making  Mis  Way. 

"  '  And  you  did  quite  right,  too,  my  good 
woman/  I  replied.  '  You  must  allow  me  to 
give  you  this/  and  I  placed  a  five-dollar  bill  in 
her  hand. 

"  I  was  immediately  showered  with  bless 
ings  by  the  grateful  woman,  who  felt  at  that 
moment,  I  dare  say,  as  rich  as  Croesus,  though 
I  doubt  whether  she  ever  heard  of  that  gentle 
man. 

"  If  you  were  here,  you  would  probably  ask 
me  what  inference  I  draw  from  this  discovery. 
I  will  not  wait  till  I  see  you,  but  answer  the 
question  at  once. 

"  I  firmly  believe,  then,  that  the  will  which 
has  just  been  discovered  was  the  only  will 
which  your  mother  made — that  Mr.  Manning 
knew  of  its  existence,  and,  being  dissatisfied 
with  it,  suppressed  it  by  hiding  it  where  it  was 
found.  It  would  have  been  safer  for  him  to 
destroy  it,  but  that  requires  courage  and  bold 
ness,  and  these  are  qualities  which  Mr.  Man 
ning  does  not  possess. 

"  As  to  the  will  which  was  substituted  in 
its  place,  my  theory  is  that  it  was  prepared  at 
the  instance  of  your  stepfather  by  some  tool 
of  his.  We  must  now  try  to  discover  how,  or 
by  what  means,  or  through  whose  agency,  this 
wras  done. 

"  I  think  you  had  better  come  up  here  next 
Saturday,  and  remain  two  or  three  days.  This 
will  give  us  a  chance  to  confer  together  upon 
the  matter." 


Making  His  Way.  275 

Thus  ended  Col.  Vincent's  letter. 

Frank  showed  it  to  Mr.  Percival,  and  readily 
obtained  permission  to  take  a  few  days'  vaca 
tion. 

"  I  hope  you  will  get  back  the  estate,  Frank," 
said  Mr.  Percival,  "  though  I  don't  know  what 
I  shall  do  without  my  secretary." 

"  That  need  not  separate  us,  Mr.  Percival," 
said  our  hero.  "  I  have  no  home  but  this." 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 

JONAS  BARTON. 

FRANK  started  for  his  old  home  on  Satur 
day  afternoon.  He  would  arrive  in  time  for 
supper,  at  the  house  of  his  father's  friend. 
The  train  was  well  filled,  and  he  was  obliged 
to  share  his  seat  with  a  shabbily  dressed  young 
man  with  whom,  a  single  glance  showed  him, 
he  was  not  likely  to  sympathize. 

The  shabby  suit  did  not  repel  him  at  all — 
he  was  too  sensible  for  that;  but  there  was  a 
furtive  look  in  the  man's  face,  which  seemed 
to  indicate  that  he  was  not  frank  and  straight 
forward,  but  had  something  to  conceal. 

Half  the  journey  passed  without  a  word  be 
tween  the  two.  Then  his  companion,  glancing 
at  Frank,  opened  a  conversation  by  remarking 
that  it  was  a  fine  day. 


276  Making  His  Way. 

"Very,"  answered  Frank,  laconically. 

"  A  pleasant  day  to  travel." 

"  Yes." 

"  Do  you  go  far?  " 

Frank  mentioned  his  destination.  His  com 
panion  seemed  to  have  his  interest  awakened. 

"  Do  you  know  a  Mr.  Manning,  living  in 
your  town?  "  he  asked. 

"  He  is  my  stepfather,"  said  Frank. 

"  Then  you  are  Frank  Courtney?  "  said  his 
new  acquaintance,  quickly. 

"  I  am." 

"  Pardon  me,  but  I  think  your  mother  died 
recently?" 

"  Yes." 

"  And  the  property  was  left  chiefly  to  Mr. 
Manning?  "  ' 

"  Yes." 

"  Of  course,  you  were  surprised,  and  very 
probably  disappointed?  " 

"  Excuse  me,"  said  Frank,  coldly ;  "  but  I 
am  not  in  the  habit  of  discussing  my  affairs 
with  strangers." 

"  Quite  right,  but  I  think  you  will  find  it  for 
your  interest  to  discuss  them  with  me.  Not  in 
a  public  car,  of  course;  but  I  have  something  of 
importance  to  communicate.  Where  can  I 
have  a  private  interview  with  you?  " 

It  at  once  occurred  to  Frank  that  here  was 
an  opportunity,  perhaps,  to  solve  the  mystery 
concerning  the  will.  This  man  might  know 
nothing  about  it;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  he 


Making  His  Way.  277 

might  know  everything.  It  would  be  foolish 
to  repulse  him. 

"If  you  have  anything  important  to  tell  me, 
I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  it,"  he  said.  "  I  am 
going  to  the  house  of  my  friend,  Col.  Vincent, 
to  pass  a  few  days.  Do  you  know  where  he 
lives?" 

"  Yes,  I  know." 

"  If  you  will  call  this  evening,  after  supper, 
I  shall  be  glad  to  see  you." 

"  I  will  do  so.  I  will  be  there  at  eight 
o'clock,  sharp." 

On  arriving  at  his  destination,  Frank  found 
the  colonel's  carriage  waiting  for  him  at  the 
station. 

Col.  Vincent  was  inside. 

"  Welcome,  Frank ! "  he  said,  grasping 
heartily  the  hand  of  our  young  hero.  "  I  am 
delighted  to  see  you.  You  are  looking  well, 
and,  bless  me,  how  you  have  grown !  " 

"  Thank  you,  Col.  Vincent.  Do  you  expect 
me  to  return  the  compliment?" 

"About  having  grown?  No,  Frank,  I  hope 
not.  I  am  six  feet  one,  and  don't  care  to  grow 
any  taller.  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  the 
news?  " 

"  I  have  some  for  you,  colonel ;  "  and  Frank 
mentioned  what  his  new  acquaintance  had  told 
him. 

"  The  missing  link !  "  exclaimed  the  colonel, 
excited.  "  Do  you  know  what  I  think?  " 

"  What?  " 


278  Making  His  Way. 

"  That  this  man  either  forged  the  will  which 
gives  the  property  to  your  stepfather,  or  is 
cognizant  of  it !  " 

"  I  thought  of  that." 

"  I  shall  be  impatient  to  see  him." 

At  eight  o'clock  the  man  called  and  gave  his 
name  as  Jonas  Barton.  Whether  it  was  the 
right  name  might  be  a  question;  but  this  did 
not  matter. 

"  I  understand,"  said  Col.  Vincent,  "  that 
you  have  some  information  to  give  us." 

"  I  have ;  and  that  of  a  very  important 
nature." 

"  Is  it  of  a  nature  to  restore  to  my  young 
friend  here  his  property,  now  in  the  possession 
of  Mr.  Manning?  " 

"  If  it  were/'  said  Jonas  Barton,  with  a  cun 
ning  glance  of  his  left  eye,  "  how  much  would  it 
be  worth?" 

"  I   supposed   it   was   for   sale^"   said   the 
colonel,  quietly.     "  What  is  your  own  idea?  " 

"  I  will  take  two  thousand  dollars." 

"  Suppose  we  say  one  thousand?  " 

"  It  is  not  enough." 

"  Were  you  aware  that  the  genuine  will  had 
been  found?"  asked  the  colonel,  quietly. 

Jonas  Barton  started. 

"  I  thought  Mr.  Manning  destroyed  it,"  he 
said,  hastily. 

"  No ;  he  concealed  it." 

"  Is  this  true?  " 


Making  His  Way.  279 

"  Yes.  You  see  that  a  part  of  your  infor 
mation  has  been  forestalled." 

"  He  was  a  fool,  then,  and  still  more  a  fool 
to  refuse  my  last  demand  for  money.  I  accept 
your  offer  of  a  thousand  dollars,  and  will  tell 
all." 

"  Go  on." 

"  I  wrote  the  will  which  Mr.  Manning  pre 
sented  for  probate.  It  was  copied  in  part  from 
the  genuine  will." 

"  Good !  And  you  betray  him  because  he 
will  cot  pay  what  you  consider  the  service 
worth?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

Jonas  Barton  here  gave  a  full  account  of 
Mr.  Manning,  whom  he  had  formerly  known  in 
New  York,  seeking  him  out  and  proposing  to 
him  a  job  for  which  he  was  willing  to  pay  five 
hundred  dollars.  Barton  was  not  scrupulous, 
and  readily  agreed  to  do  the  work.  He  was 
skilful  with  the  pen,  and  did  his  work  so  well 
that  all  were  deceived. 

"  You  will  be  willing  to  swear  to  this  in 
court?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  if  you  will  guarrantee  the  sum  you 
proposed." 

"  I  will.  I  shall  wish  you  to  find  a  boarding 
place  in  the  village,  and  remain  here  for  the 
present,  so  as  to  be  ready  when  needed.  I 
will  be  responsible  for  your  board." 

As  Jonas  Barton  was  leaving  the  house,  one 


280  Making  His  Way. 

of  the  servants  came  in  with  important  news, 
in  which  Frank  was  strongly  interested. 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 

CONCLUSION. 

THE  news  was  that  Mr.  Manning  and  Mark 
had  just  arrived  at  the  Cedars.  They  had  come 
by  the  last  evening  train.  Why  they  had  come 
back  so  unexpectedly  no  one  knew,  but  the 
servant  had  heard  that  Mark  was  in  poor 
health.  This  was  true. 

Mark,  in  Europe,  had  proved  uncontrollable. 
He  had  given  way  to  his  natural  love  of  drink, 
had  kept  late  hours,  and  had  seriously  in 
jured  his  constitution.  In  consequence  of 
these  excesses,  he  had  contracted  a  fever,  which 
alarmed  his  father  and  induced  him  to  take  the 
first  steamer  home. 

"  We  won't  call  upon  your  stepfather  this 
evening,  Frank,"  said  Col.  Vincent;  "but 
early  Monday  morning  we  will  bring  matters 
to  a  crisis." 

Mr.  Manning  did  not  hear  of  Frank's  pres 
ence  in  the  village.  He  was  fatigued  with  his 
rapid  travel  and  kept  at  home.  Besides,  Mark 
was  prostrated  by  his  journey  and  didn't  wish 
to  be  left  alone. 


Making  His  Way.  281 

It  was,  therefore,  a  surprise  to  Mr.  Manning 
when  on  Monday  morning,  Col.  Vincent  was 
ushered  into  his  presence,  accompanied  by 
Frank. 

"  Really,  colonel,"  he  said,  recovering  his 
composure,  "  you  are  very  kind  to  call  so  soon. 
I  hope  you  are  well,  Frank?  Are  you  staying 
with  the  colonel?  You  must  come  back  to  your 
old  home." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Manning,  but  I  am  living 
in  New  York.  I  am  only  passing  a  day  or  two 
with  the  colonel." 

"  It  is  very  friendly  in  you  to  call,  Col. 
Vincent." 

"  Mr.  Manning,"  said  Col.  Vincent,  gravely, 
"  I  am  not  willing  to  receive  undeserved  credit. 
Let  me  say,  therefore,  that  this  is  a  business, 
not  a  friendly,  call." 

"  Indeed,"  said  Manning,  uneasily. 

"  The  business  is  connected  with  my  young 
friend  Frank." 

"  I  am  ready  to  listen,"  said  Mr.  Manning. 
"  If  Frank  wants  a  larger  allowance,  I  am 
ready  to  give  it." 

"  I  venture  to  say  for  him  that  he  will  not 
be  satisfied  with  that.  Let  me  come  to  the 
point  at  once,  Mr.  Manning.  Mrs.  Manning's 
will  has  been  found." 

Mr.  Manning  started  perceptibly,  and  his 
glance  involuntarily  wandered  to  that  part  of 
the  wall  behind  which  the  will  was  discovered, 


282  Making  His  Way. 

for  they  were  sitting  in  the  very  apartment 
where  Mrs.  Noonan  had  stumbled  upon  it. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir?  " 

"  A  will  has  been  found,  leaving  the  bulk  of 
the  property  to  Frank." 

"  Indeed !  I  am  surprised.  Is  it  a  later  will 
than  the  one  which  bequeathed  the  estate  to 
me?  "  asked  Mr.  Manning,  pointedly. 

"  It  is  Mrs.  Manning's  latest  genuine  will," 
said  Col.  Vincent,  emphatically. 

Mr.  Manning  started  to  his  feet.  He  could 
not  help  understanding  the  colonel's  meaning. 
It  would  have  been  idle  to  pretend  it. 

"What  do  you  mean,  Col.  Vincent?"  he 
asked,  in  a  tone  which  he  tried  to  make  one  of 
dignified  resentment. 

"  I  mean  that  Mrs.  Manning  made  but  one 
will,  and  that  this  bequeaths  the  property  to 
Frank." 

"  How,  then,  do  you  account  for  the  later 
will  which  was  admitted  to  probate?  " 

"  In  this  way.  It  was  not  what  it  purported 
to  be." 

Mr.  Manning's  sallow  face  flushed. 

"  What  do  you  mean  to  insinuate? "  he 
asked. 

"  That  the  last  Avill  was  forged !  "  said  Col. 
Vincent,  bluntly. 

"  This  is  a  very  serious  charge,"  said  Mr. 
Manning,  unable  to  repress  his  agitation. 
"  You  must  allow  me  to  say  that  I  shall  pay  no 
attention  to  it.  When  you  furnish  proof  of 


Making  His  Way.  283 

what  you  assert,  it  will  be  time  enough  to  meet 
it.  And  now,  gentlemen,  if  you  have  nothing 
further  to  say,  I  will  bid  you  good-morn 
ing." 

"  I  think  you  will  find  it  best  not  to  be  in  a 
hurry,  Mr.  Manning/'  said  Col.  Vincent.  "  The 
charge  must  be  met  here  and  now.  I  charge 
you  with  instigating  and  being  cognizant  of 
the  fraud  that  has  been  perpetrated !  " 

"  On  what  grounds,  sir?  Do  you  know  I  can 
sue  you  for  libel  ?  " 

"  You  are  welcome  to  do  so,  Mr.  Manning. 
I  have  a  witness  who  Avill  clear  me." 

"  Who  is  he?  " 

"  Jonas  Barton !  " 

If  a  bombshell  had  exploded  in  the  room, 
Mr.  Manning  could  not  have  looked  paler  or 
more  thoroughly  dismayed.  Yet  he  tried  to 
keep  up  a  little  longer. 

"  I  don't  know  any  man  of  that  name,"  he 
answered,  faintly. 

"  Your  looks  show  that  you  do.  I  may  as 
well  tell  you,  Mr.  Manning,  that  resistance  is 
useless.  We  can  overwhelm  you  with  proof  if 
we  take  the  matter  before  the  courts.  But  we 
do  not  care  to  do  so.  We  have  something  to 
propose." 

"What  is  it?"  said  Mr.  Manning,  faintly, 

"  The  genuine  will  must  be  substituted  for 
the  fraudulent  one.  By  it  you  will  receive  ten 
thousand  dollars,  and  Frank  will  consent  that 
you  shall  receive  it.  He  will  not  ask  you  to 


284  Making  His  Way. 

account  for  the  sums  you  have  wrongfully 
spent  during  the  last  year,  and  will  promise 
not  to  prosecute  you,  provided  you  leave  this 
neighborhood  and  never  return  to  it,  or  in  any 
way  interfere  with  him.  To  insure  this,  we 
shall  have  Jonas  Barton's  written  confession, 
attested  before  a  justice  of  the  peace,  ready  for 
use,  if  needful.  Do  you  accept  ?" 

"  I  must,"  said  Mr.  Manning,  despondently. 
"  But  I  shall  be  a  poor  man." 

"  No  man  who  has  health  and  the  use  of  his 
faculties  is  poor  with  ten  thousand  dollars," 
answered  the  colonel. 

"  Mark  alone  will  spend  more  than  the  in 
terest  of  this  sum." 

"  Then  you  must  prevent  him.  He  will  be 
better  off  if  he  has  to  earn  his  living,  as  Frank 
has  done  for  the  last  year." 

In  less  than  a  week  the  transfer  was  made, 
and  Frank  recovered  his  patrimony. 

Mr.  Manning  and  Mark  went  to  Chicago, 
and  perhaps  further  West;  but  nothing  has 
been  heard  from  them  for  years. 

Frank  didn't  return  to  the  Cedars.  The 
place  was  let  until  he  should  wish  to  return  to 
it. 

By  the  advice  of  Col.  Vincent,  he  resumed  his 
preparation  for  college,  and,  graduating  in  due 
time,  commenced  the  study  of  law. 

Though  rich  enough  to  do  without  a  profes 
sion,  he  felt  that  he  should  not  be  content  to 
lead  an  aimless  life. 


Making  His  Way.  285 

He  obtained  for  his  school  friend,  Herbert 
Grant,  the  post  of  private  secretary  to  Mr. 
Percival,  and  Herbert  became  nearly  as  great 
a  favorite  as  himself. 

Through  Mr.  PercivaFs  kindness,  Herbert 
was  enabled,  while  still  living  at  his  house  and 
attending  to  his  duties  as  secretary,  to  enter 
Columbia  College,  and  complete  his  course 
there,  graduating  with  honor. 

Herbert  selected  the  medical  profession,  and, 
when  he  has  completed  his  studies,  will  go 
abroad  for  a  year  with  Frank,  at  the  latter's 
expense,  and,  returning,  open  an  office  in  New 
York. 

While  he  is  waiting  for  patients  and  Frank 
for  clients,  the  two  will  live  together,  and 
their  common  expenses  will  be  defrayed  by 
Frank. 

"  If  I  didn't  like  you  so  well,  Frank,"  said 
Herbert,  "  I  would  not  accept  this  great  favor 
at  your  hands— 

"  But  since  we  are  dear  friends,"  interrupts 
Frank,  with  a  smile. 

"  I  know  that  you  enjoy  giving  even  more 
than  I  do  the  receiving." 

"  Enough,  Herbert.  We  understand  each 
other.  I  have  no  brother,  Herbert,  and  if  I 
had,  I  could  not  care  more  for  him  than  I  do 
for  you.  Without  you,  I  should  feel  alone  in 
the  world." 

Frank  does  not  regret  the  year  in  which  he 
was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources.  It  gave 


286  Making  His  Way. 

him  strength  and  self-reliance;  and  however 
long  he  may  live,  he  will  not  cease  to  remember 
with  pleasure  the  year  in  which  he  was  "  Mak 
ing  His  Way." 


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